


A Bloody Crusade

by Fantasyandromancelover



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Blood and Gore, Catholicism, Devils, Exorcists, F/M, Gothic, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Nuns, Protestant, References to Frankenstien, Religion, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, War, references to Dracula, references to other animes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:29:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 59,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25712833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasyandromancelover/pseuds/Fantasyandromancelover
Summary: This is the terrifying story of two monsters who were once human but transformed by tragedy and became dormant for many years until they were reawakened by a woman determined to end a war unlike any other. Now they struggle to redeem themselves while becoming drawn to two women who may heal the pain in their hearts.
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser, Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 41
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

1462

Muslim Turks swept into Europe with a vast, superior force threatening all of Christendom. In Alvarez there lived two men, Natsu and Gray. Both orphaned as children and taken in by the church where they grew up as brothers. The young men chose to fight the Turks and defend their home from being destroyed no matter what the cost. The battle seemed endless, millions of lives were lost, what Natsu and Gray went through in the war was horrifying but in the end they were victorious. Unfortunately as they were returning home the two were separated and the vengeful Turks had captured Natsu. They tortured him without mercy, he prayed and waited for a rescue. Gray tried to find him but it was as if the enemy had disappeared completely off the face of the earth. So no rescue came. 

Feeling betrayed by God, Natsu renounced his faith and when he could bear his torture no more he impaled the turks on spears, skinned them alive, and drank their blood which transformed him into the blood sucking monster of the night known as the vampire. He wanted humanity to pay for his suffering and he planned to use his new power to slaughter them all. 

When he was finally reunited with Gray it was a happy moment until he told Gray of his plan for the world and urged him to join in his cause but he refused. This led to a fight between them and during the battle Gray's dormant heritage was unlocked and he was revealed to be a devil. But a rare kind of devil, one who was born of human parents that had been tainted with the blood of devils. The fight ended in a stalemate and before leaving the angered Natsu warned his foster brother that he would regret remaining loyal to God and defending mankind. Despite this Gray remained hopeful that someday the pain in Natsu's heart would heal and they could reconcile.

With his discovery as a devil revealed Gray was forced to constantly wander the earth for many centuries. Being feared and hated by anyone who saw him. But things changed when he came upon a Vatican and was found by the sacred holy woman who resided in the Vatican. Looking through his eyes she saw that he was indeed a devil but she also saw that he had goodness in his heart and was willingly to welcome him into the church. It was the first kindness he had received since it was learned that he was a devil. 

During his time there Gray fell very much in love with the holy woman but it seemed that she would not return his feelings. Nevertheless he was just content with being by her side however all good things must end, one day when Natsu was visiting his beloved was killed and Gray was led to believe that his former brother was responsible for her demise. Natsu and Gray fought, trying to kill each other while hurting many innocents in the process but eventually they were both captured and sealed away for all time. Or so it seemed...

...

1925

The world has seen many wars in it's lifetime but it has never seen anything like this. Earth had become a battlefield, thousands of men, women, and children were slaughtered like cattle by creatures who come from what is known as the occult. Many humans who were experienced in the paranormal would fight back against these creatures of darkness. One of them was Makarov Dreyar a wealthy nobleman and the head of the Bureau of the Supernatural. An organization that specialized in studying the occult and eliminating paranormal beings who posed as a threat to humanity. But he didn't just fight the monsters of the occult, he also fought the monsters of the human race.

An example was an event that took place sixteen years earlier. Makarov was walking home one night when he heard a scream, he followed it to a house where he saw a man stab his wife to death and he planned to do the same thing to his seven year old daughter. The evil man's blade was just centimeters from the girl's chest when Makarov shot him in the head. He then took the child and raised her alongside his grandson Laxus. She was called Erza Scarlet. Under Makarov's care Erza learned the ways of the supernatural and how to fight them. She was an excellent student and Makarov grew to love her very much and while she did become close with Laxus, he sometimes became envious of his grandfather's love for her.

As she got older and became more involved she began to realize that as great as the Bureau's efforts were, alone they weren't enough. No they needed something stronger to fight back with and at age twelve she had a pretty good idea of what to use. While reading in the library she had discovered a legend about two beings of darkness. Two beings who were more powerful than all the paranormal creatures combined. A vampire and a devil who had long ago been sealed away by the famous yet long deceased vampire hunter Archibald Heartfilia and were then placed somewhere under the Bureau. According to the books and archives if a mortal were to free them from their prisons then they would be forced to serve the mortal until he or she decided to release them. With a vampire and a devil as their allies the enemy didn't stand a chance.

"Erza you can't be serious." Makarov said.

"Makarov we keep losing more men by the minute and we haven't even injured the enemy." The twelve year old red head said. "With the forces of a vampire and a devil we might actually stand a chance."

"Do you honestly think that reawakening a dormant vampire and devil is the best option? Do you have any idea what they would do?"

"But Makarov I've read that if a human frees them then they will have to serve that human."

"That's never been proven. It's only a theory. We can't risk it Erza."

"But-"

"Enough! Put it out of your mind! Now! I will think of another way."

But Erza was a stubborn girl and she was determined to find someway to assist the loyal and brave men aiding her adoptive father. So one day while he was away on a case, she and her friend Jellal, a neighbor of hers set out to the area underneath the Bureau where the vampire and devil were allegedly being held.

"Erza are you sure that we should be doing this?" Jellal asked her as they went downstairs. "I mean don't vampires and devils typically kill people?"

"Yes but don't worry Jellal once I reawaken them they will be forced to serve me."

"But what if that's just a theory like Makarov said?"

"Jellal are you afraid?"

"Me? Afraid? Of course not!"

"If you're scared then you can go back."

"And leave you to the mercy of two monsters? I don't think so. We're friends Erza and friends stick together no matter what."

"Thanks Jellal."

"But I still think that this is a very bad idea and that there are more important things that we could be doing."

"I don't think trying to bring dead frogs back to life is a better use of our time Jellal."

"Mock my experiments all you want Erza but someday we'll be able to beat death and restore life lost."

Erza just giggled at her friend's behavior. But her smile faded when they reached the darkness. It was cold, musty, and very old with cob webs every where. It was obvious that no one had been down here in a long time. Jellal clutched the pistol that he had brought then took hold of Erza's hand.

"Stay close Erza." He told her.

The two began to walk down the dark corridor until they reached the end. At the end was a very large coffin bound with chains and stone tomb that had a crucifix nailed to the lid.

"Is this what we're looking for?" Jellal asked.

"I believe so." Erza said.

"Now what do we do?"

Erza pulled something from her satchel. A knife and cut her finger then squeezed a few drops of blood into a small crack in the coffin which landed on a punctured heart causing it to beat again. At once the coffin began to shake, the chains broke off, and the coffin door swung open to reveal a rotting corpse. The corpse's eyes glowed a frighting red and fangs grew from his decayed jaw. It began to look more alive.

"Ah. Wonderful." He slurped. "I haven't had a decent drink like that in so long."

"God almighty." Jellal gasped in horror.

He looked at the two children and gave a cruel smile. Jellal started to raise his pistol but at the speed of lighting, the vampire knocked the pistol away and snatched him up by his throat.

"Nice try boy but you're gonna have to do better than that!" He hissed.

"Put him down!" He looked to see Erza pointing the pistol at him. He only smiled again.

"Do I scare you little girl?" He asked.

"No you don't!" She shouted. She was as brave as she was stubborn. "Vile creature! Let him go or I'll shoot!"

"Do you think I will be intimidated by a child aand a pistol? Give up little girl and I-"

"Shut up!" She snapped. "I have freed you from your prison now you must serve me! You are bound to me until I sever our contract! You must obey my every order and I order you to release him!"

Anger flashed in the vampire's eyes as the realization finally hit him. If this human girl did indeed set him free then he would have no choice but to become her humble servant. That was the law of a contract made with a paranormal being. He gritted his fangs together and dropped Jellal.

"Jellal are you okay?" Erza asked him.

"I'm fine." He said rubbing his neck. "That guy has a strong grip. I think he almost broke my neck."

"Okay kid you win." The vampire huffed. "Now what do you want from me?"

"We'll discuss that later. Now I have to wake my other soon to be servant."

Erza pulled another item from her satchel. This one was a hammer which she used to pull the nail from the crucifix, removing it from the tomb. After a long moment of silence the lid was then lifted from the tomb.

"Who is it? Who has awakened me?" A voice from inside asked.

A dark figure came up from the tomb with eyes that glowed a chilling silver blue and when they saw the vampire standing across from him in the other room they became filled with an intense hatred.

"You!" He snarled.

"You!" The vampire snapped back.

"Never thought that I would see your ugly face again. How long has it been?"

"Not long enough apparently and may I say that the years have not been kind to you Gray. What happened? Run out of souls to steal?"

"Don't get funny with me Natsu! I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to me!"

"What I did to you?! You're the one who led that damn vampire hunter straight to me!"

"Because you betrayed me in the most horrible way imaginable! You had to pay!"

"Self-righteous bastard!"

"Blood sucking Judas!"

The vampire and the devil lunged to attack each other with the intent of killing their rival.

"Stop it!" Erza ordered.

At once the two stopped in their tracks.

"You two can't kill each other! I need you!" She said.

"Who the hell are you pipsqueak?" The devil asked.

"I am your new mistress and you both now serve me!"

In that moment the two creatures of darkness became the servants to a little girl.


	2. Chapter 2

1936

_Dear Diary today I shall be arriving in Magnolia to begin my new job as the new assistant school mistress, on the side I hope to continue working on my novel and I also hope to reunite with my dear friends Juvia and Erza. I wonder how they're doing?_

_Sincerely Lucy Heartfilia._

Boarding a train to the town of Magnolia was the graceful and elegant Lucy Heartfilia. She had recently taken up a job in Magnolia, working as an assistant school mistress. She was very excited because not only would her job allow her to have an opportunity to show off her advanced literary skills but she would also be reunited with her friends from finishing school Juvia Lockser and Erza Scarlet.

She was very pretty, with long blonde hair and the most lovely brown eyes imaginable. She wore a bright yellow dress that was long sleeved yet went below the shoulders and exposed a little cleavage. She also wore black stockings and white heels. Back home she had caught the eye of many suitors who had asked for her hand in marriage but she didn't want to get married yet. There was still so much that she wanted to do first. One of things she wanted to accomplish was to write a successful horror novel. Her father had always said that a female writer was ridiculous but she was determined to prove him wrong.

When she got off of the train an auto mobile pulled up to escort her.

"Where to Miss Heartfilia?" The driver asked.

"Kardia Cathedral." She said.

The driver helped her into the vehicle, placed her bags in the back, and proceeded to drive to Kardia Cathedral. Upon arriving she entered the church and found many spectators in the sanctuary watching something. At the alter there stood a beautiful young nun wearing a blue short-sleeved dress with a white bodice, and a skirt with slits, a blue veil fringed with white that didn't cover her hair or around her face, gloves, white stockings, and short boots.

Her name was Juvia Lockser. No one really knew where she came from but apparently she was found on the side of a road and brought into the church where she grew up and studied to become a nun and was the choir's most lovely singer. When her song ended and church was dismissed, Juvia immediately went to greet her old school mate. The two women embraced each other happily.

"I'm so glad you made it Lucy." Juvia said.

"Hello Juvia how are things at the church?"

"Just fine."

"Have you heard from Erza?"

"We haven't spoken for quite sometime. At the moment she's at Clover Town working on a very important job."

"What kind of work does Erza do anyway? She's never actually told me what her career is."

"I don't know though she once mentioned that it was a type of exterminating business."

"I see well would you like to join me for tea at my house?"

"Of course."

They went to the house where Lucy would be staying where they had tea and talked about what they had been doing for the past five years.

"You mean to tell me that three men have proposed to you?" Juvia said sipping her tea.

"Yes and they've all offered me the usual gifts. Jewels, silks, gowns, ornaments."

"Which one have you decided to wed?"

"I haven't picked one. I want to wait until the end of the school season before I make a choice."

"What are they like?"

"Oh you know. Young, fresh, handsome, and dreadfully wealthy. The kind of men my father always wanted me to marry. What about you though? Any romance in your life?"

"Lucy I'm a nun. I'm supposed remain chaste."

"So? If you give yourself to a man just don't tell anyone. Who's going to know? Be honest Juvia, have you never once felt lustful toward a man."

"You are positively indecent." Juvia giggled. "Besides I'm not like you Lucy, I don't have the looks that attract men. Though sometimes I do wish that I was as pretty and adored as you are."

"I bet if you dropped the nun look you would be."

"I don't think so. I'm happy only loving men platonically."

"You just haven't found the right man to love romantically yet."

Juvia just rolled her eyes and glanced over at the clock.

"Oh dear!" She gasped.

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"It's almost nine. I better be going before everyone at the church starts to worry."

"Do you need a ride back?"

"No I can walk."

"Are you sure? You know it's dangerous to be walking alone at night."

"I will be fine. It's not that far from the church here. Thank you so very much for the tea, I'll talk to you when I can."

After bidding Lucy goodnight Juvia started make her way back to the church. She was amazed by how quickly it had gotten dark. She was still able to see but the darkness was giving her a chill and she found herself wishing that she had accepted that automobile ride back home. She then heard footsteps coming from behind her but when she turned around she didn't see anyone or anything.

"Hello? Is someone there?" She asked. Looking around she saw something in the corner of an alleyway. She nervously reached inside of her dress and pulled out a gun that was attached to her garter.

Interesting fact about the church she had be raised in. While it was indeed a place of worship it was also a place where exorcists trained to fight devils and other evil forces of hell. Both the monks, nuns, and exorcists carried guns that shot specially made bullets that could harm and even kill devils. Though Juvia was opposed to the use of violence unless it was absolutely necessary.

The figure stepped out from the shadows. It was a boy. Seeing that it was a child she lowered her gun.

"Hello there." She said with a smile. "Are you lost?"

"I'm trying to get away from a bad man who's trying to hurt me." He said. "Will you help me get away?"

"Sure. Come with me."

She reached her hand to the boy and he moved grab to grab it. They were about to touch when out of no where the boy was stabbed and dropped to the ground dead. Juvia was horrified by the sight. Looking upward she saw that the blade belonged to a man who kept himself in the darkness.

"Shame, shame." The man tsked. "Preying on a naive young woman. Vermin like you really can't sink any lower than that."

"What have you done?!" She cried out in terror. "You've murdered an innocent child!"

"Oh is that what you think he is? Lady take another look at it."

Juvia looked down at where the dead child laid except she didn't see a child anymore. She saw a revolting, hideous, definitely not human creature lying dead on the ground.

"You're innocent child is really a dirty devil who gets his kicks out of raping and then eating human women." The man said. "First he makes himself look like a lost kid to draw them in and once you've brought him into your house or in your case, your convent that's when he drops his kid facade and makes you another unfortunate victim."

Juvia's terror was furthered when she realized just how dangerously close she came to being raped and eaten by a devil. She never thought that devil could actually disguise itself as a child. How frightening to think that any random child she met on the street could really be a monster.

"Well now that I've crushed that cockroach I think I shall be going."

He turned to leave but Juvia caught sight of a trail of blood that was coming from him. It was dripping down from his arm which had several gashes.

"You're bleeding." She said.

"So? What of it?"

"You need to go to the hospital."

"I don't need a hospital." He said still walking away.

"No! Wait!" She ran toward him and took hold of his arm. He became stiff and turned to stare down at her with two eyes that were glowing a silver blue. Juvia had never seen eyes like these before. They were cold, unfeeling, like stone. Just looking at them made her heart briefly stop and her bones become chilled. These were not the eyes of any human man. No human could ever have eyes like these.

"My God what are you?" She asked in a frightened whisper.

Instead of answering he shoved her to the ground and she landed in the light of a lamp post which would allow him to see her better. Unable to bear his stone cold gaze she looked away from him and down at her hands.

"You know you really shouldn't touch people without asking. It's very rude." He said bending down in front of her. "Here let me show you how annoying it can be."

He grabbed her by her chin and made her look at him. Their eyes met, he looked deep into hers, and she into his. The coldness in his eyes had suddenly vanished and had been replaced by a great sadness and disbelief. He looked at her as if he had seen a ghost or at least someone he expected to be long gone and never come back. He opened his mouth to speak but he struggled to find the words to say.

Then bang! A shot rang out and the man dropped to the ground. Looking up she saw that the bullet came from a pistol being held by a strong, proud, but beautiful woman with long red hair, wearing a business type dark red dress. On her head she wore a hat and she seemed to be standing in a very bold manner.

"Bad dog." She said waving her finger. "We do not treat victims like that.

She then gave Juvia a smile.

"Hello Juvia it's very nice to see you again."

"Erza?" Juvia asked recognizing the red head as her old friend.

"Long time no see huh?"

"Uh yes but um..." She looked down at the body in front of her.

"He's not dead just unconscious. I apologize for his behavior. He's not very social."

"Who is this man? Is he even human?"

"I'll explain everything later but for now I need you to do me a big favor."

"What's that?"

"Help me get him back to my place before someone notices and calls the cops."

"Why did you shoot him?"

"Again I'll explain that later. For now just help me."


	3. Chapter 3

Juvia was so stunned by what had happened that she didn't know how to respond to Erza's request but she figured that she had said yes because she ended up carrying the unconscious man back to Erza's house. As Erza was lying him down in a bed Juvia took notice of his appearance. Despite his eyes, he looked like a regular man. Dare she say quite handsome like. She also noticed that around his neck he wore a cross. 

"I guess now would be a good time to explain the events that have just taken place, yes?" Erza said.

"I...I believe so...So who is this man?"

"Well for starters he's not exactly a man. I mean he is a male and somewhat human to a degree. But he is a devil."

"A devil?" She moved to grab her gun again. 

"Put the gun away he won't harm you." Erza told her.

"But he's a devil."

"Let me explain please." She said. "Now then his name is Gray and he is a devil but he's not like the ones you've encountered and read about. For one thing he had human parents and he was raised in the human world under the care of monks from a Church. He is religious much like you are which explains the cross he wears."

"If he's harmless then why shoot him?"

"Because of this." Erza held up a chain which contained a watch pendent on the end. "This is no ordinary watch. It's a trigger."

"A trigger?"

"Gray may have been born of human parents and raised by humans but he is still a devil and like most devils his feelings are tied to his body and powers. Whenever he gets really angry or emotional his devil nature takes over him and he becomes chaotic and kills impulsively. This special trinket keeps his devil nature locked up inside of him but the seal can only be undone by whoever bonds with it or if he gets upset enough to break it. Last night something made him get very emotional and dangerously close to breaking the seal. When he gets like that the best option is to knock him out with a very special bullet. It won't kill him but it'll leave him unconscious for hours giving him enough time to calm down and his devil tendencies to subside."

"Won't he be upset that you shot him, when he wakes up?"

"No. It's very rare that he tries to break the seal. He knows not to get too emotional. That's why his eyes seem soulless and truth be told he's not even the one who gives me the most trouble."

"You have more devils?"

"No just the one, but I do have a vampire. A very reckless and disobedient vampire who really makes my blood pressure go up."

"I see...Well I should probably go now."

"I don't think so. You look too shook up to go home on your own."

"I'm fine really."

"Now Juvia lying is a sin." 

Juvia blew but not in frustration.

"Come on it's late. Get some sleep and we'll talk more in the morning." Erza said.

...

That very same evening Lucy discovered that she was missing her favorite brooch. It had belonged to her late mother who had given it to her just before she died. Lucy kept it with her always, when she discovered that it was no longer pinned to her dress she panicked. That brooch was her most prized possession. She just had to find it. She searched her bedroom, her suitcases, and around the house. When she failed to find any trace of it she figured that it must've fallen off somewhere by the train station. She had her driver take her back to the train station where she searched the area for her precious brooch.

"Good evening ma'am."

Lucy was startled by the sudden appearance of a man wearing some sort of uniform. He was very pale and skinny too.

"Oh I'm sorry if I scared you." He said. "What are you doing out this late young lady?"

"I'm just looking for something that I believe that I have dropped around here."

"I see...Well ma'am I wouldn't recommend looking for it here at this hour. You know very dangerous characters tend to come out at the night."

"I'm not afraid."

"You should be after all you don't know what some people are capable of."

She felt him grip her shoulder, she looked up at his face. He looked frightening to her, she didn't know why but she could tell by his eyes that he was definitely someone to be feared. She started to move away from him but he tightened his grip on her and before she knew it she was caught in a choke hold.

"Let me go!" She demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that my dear. You see it's been far too long since I've had the pleasure of drinking someone so young, so fresh, so full of life."

"What are you talking about? Let go of me this instant!"

He sniffed her blonde hair.

"You smell nice and your blood smells even better. So thick, ripe, and invigorating like a rich wine."

Lucy told herself to run, to fight, to scream, to do something but it was like she no longer had control over her body. Before she even realized it the man had her pinned to the ground, hovering over her, and showing her his fangs. Just what kind of a man was he?

"Now what should I do after I drain you dry?" He said. "Leave you to die and come back as a ghoul or change into a vampire like me?"

Vampire? Did she hear right? No. No that's impossible because vampires don't exist. They're just myths and stories used to scare people.

"But changing you into a ghoul would be such a waste." He continued. "You're such a young and pretty thing, to have you become one of those decaying, mindless atrocity would be so very disappointing...To me that is."

He gave her a sinister chuckle before moving his fangs toward her neck. He was just about to seek his fangs into her soft flesh when suddenly she heard the sound of a pistol going off. Her brown eyes moved to see who had fired. It was another man. This one was younger looking than the one who had her pinned down. He was very strong looking too with a muscular physique and around his neck he wore an ankh.

"I found you, you damn punk!" He said. "Alright step away from the blonde and things won't have to get ugly."

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Someone you really, really, really, don't wanna piss off but knowing creatures like you you're probably going to end up pissing me off anyway."

"Creatures like me?"

"Vampires who slaughter humans and then transform their corpses into mindless drones, not allowing them to have any peace in death. You're disgusting."

"Typical that a mortal man like you would find me repulsive. You are envious of how I am superior to you."

"Envious of you? Don't make me laugh, why would I be envious of filthy parasite like you? And who said that I was a mortal man?"

It wasn't until now that they finally noticed that he had fangs, talons instead of finger nails, and eyes that were a blood red color which made anyone who looked into them feel a chill go up their spine. He was a vampire.

"You're...You're a vampire?" The one holding Lucy down said.

"Yes and for the record I'm the one superior to you." The other vampire said. "Now are you going to corporate or am I going to have to get my hands dirty?"

Lucy's captor hissed and lunged for the salmon haired vampire while still holding on to her in the process. But the other vampire moved at a speed so fast that he dodged the attack just when it was one inch away.

"I see so we're gonna have to do this the hard way. Just remember I warned you."

It all happened so fast. Before Lucy even realized it she was being pulled away from her captor and watching as the red eyed vampire cut off the head of the one in uniform.

"Well that takes care of him." He looked over at Lucy who was trembling and looking flushed. She was petrified. She wasn't even sure if what she had seen had actually happened. She just sat there on the ground looking at the men who had saved her.

"You know it's not polite to stare." He said. "I would appreciate it if you would stop."

"Wha...What just happened?"

"Well I think it was fairly obvious but if you need me to dumb it down for you, I decapitated a vampire who was planning to eat you."

"Vampire? No. No. There's no such thing as vampires."

"Hate to tell you this blondie but they're very real and I'm one of them."

"What?"

"Yes I'm a blood sucking creature of the night. Feel free to scream and run that's the usual reaction I get out of people when I tell them that I'm a vampire."

"Who...Who are you?"

"None of your business! Now go on home!"

"Well you're quite rude."

"So? Who cares?"

"Could you please just explain to me what's happening here?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you human! You're alive and you weren't bitten so you're not involved in my business. Now beat it!"

"Wait a minute you can't just leave me here! What if I get attacked by another one of those...Monsters?"

"Then I'll decapitate that one just like I did to the other and if you end up bitten then I'll stake you before you turn into one of them."

"What?!"

"Believe me death is much better than coming back as a vampire or a ghoul."

"Okay you're not making sense! I am freaking out here!"

"And how is that my problem?"

"Well...You saved me so I thought that-"

"That I cared about you? Listen I don't care about humans. I only saved you because it's my job."

"Your job? What are you talking about?"

"Sorry but that's top secret, very hush-hush. Now if you'll excuse me I need to be somewhere and a word of advice don't go out after dark."

"Wait!" She called. "At least walk me home. Don't make me walk back alone in the dark!"

Natsu huffed. women can be such irritating creatures. Always so dramatic and emotional but still he figured that he could help out this human woman just this once.

"Fine but that's all I'm doing. I'm not staying the night with you to keep watch okay?"

"Okay."

So Natsu walked Lucy back home. During the walk there he kept his eyes, ears, and nose open for any sign of other vampires. But the walk back was peaceful and undisturbed. When Lucy arrived at her house she stopped at the door way and gave him one last look before going inside. With his hearing Natsu heard the sound of her locking every door and window in the house. She was safe and secure so he could leave now and he did.


	4. Chapter 4

It was morning when Gray finally woke from the drugged bullet Erza had shot him with the night before. He hated it when she did that to him but then again if she didn't then he would just go berserk and kill anyone who came near him. His head hurt real bad but luckily his arm had held up completely. 

"Feeling better?" Erza asked after taking a sip of her morning coffee.

"No. God I feel like I have a hangover."

"Do you need some coffee?" 

"Maybe a little." He went to grab a cup from the shelf and poor himself some coffee to drink. "Oh God I think that was the worse black out I've ever had because I had this awful dream where I saw-"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence because in that moment he looked over into the living room to see Juvia sleeping on the sofa. He felt his heart briefly stop and just like he did when he saw her the night before, his face made a look as if he had seen a phantom from the past. He trembled a little and his skin started to lose color.

"Gray are you alright?" Erza asked him. "You look awfully pasty."

"Who...Who is this?" He asked pointing toward the sleeping woman.

"That's Juvia, she's one the friends who I told you and Natsu about the other day. She ran into you last night and was very shook up about meeting a devil. So I insisted that she stay the night."

"How did she know I was a devil?"

"I told her."

"You what?!"

"I had no choice. I needed her help in getting you back here. What was I supposed to do?"

"Lie!"

"No good. She saw your eyes, there was no way I could have convinced her that you were human."

"Was she hurt last night?"

"No."

"In that case make her leave."

"Why?"

"Well obviously she can't stay here."

"On the contrary I intended to invite her over today to discuss some business."

"But I...I don't trust this woman."

"You don't even know her and believe me if you can't trust Juvia, you can't trust anyone."

"I have a feeling in my gut that she's going to be trouble. Wake her up and make her leave now!"

"You're giving me orders?! I'm sorry but did that bullet to your head make you forget just who is the master and who is the servant here?! You do not give me orders! Or do you need a reminder of that?"

Gray huffed in frustration and then quickly composed himself.

"I'm sorry, forgive my impertinence. I just think that this woman whoever she is will make things difficult for us."

"Well that's how you feel not me. Now please make yourself scarce, I'm inviting another friend over and she will be having breakfast with me and Juvia. If they see you then I expect you to be polite and respectful and above all...Control your temper!"

Gray rolled his eyes and walked away mumbling under his breath. A few minutes later Erza's other servant arrived. He was called Natsu.

"You were supposed to come back as soon as you eliminated the target but you were gone all night. Where have you been?" She asked him.

"I was out." He answered.

"Doing what?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"What were you doing?" She said more sternly.

"Just getting a drink."

"Of what?"

"Why do you care?"

"Don't give me that you know why I care. You robbed the blood bank again didn't you?"

"I was thirsty."

"You can't take blood Natsu. The more blood you take the more you start to revert back to your former self. I give you all the blood you need, why do you have to take it?"

"I don't know Erza. I just can't help myself."

"And not just that but over the last few years we've had some complaints."

"Like what?"

"Property damage."

"Ah good times."

"Local butchers getting robbed and ransacked."

"Hey a guy's gotta eat."

"Dozens of people killed."

"This is war. Sometimes the innocent have to be sacrificed."

"And sexual harassment."

"That was never proven!"

"We'll talk about this later. Right now I need to get ready for Lucy and Juvia."

"Who?"

"My friends. I told you about them yesterday. Don't you two ever pay attention to anything I say?"

"Only when we find it interesting."

"Really, it's amazing how you two are centuries old and yet I'm the most mature between the three of us."

"No kidding. You've always been a stick in the mud. Even when you were a child."

Natsu glanced over at the living room to see Juvia sleeping on the sofa and just like Gray he was taken aback with disbelief when he saw her.

"What the hell?" He whispered.

"What? What is it?" Erza asked.

"Nothing...Nothing...I'm going to bed. Wake me when it's dark."

An hour later Lucy arrived to join Erza and Juvia for a friendly breakfast however Erza hadn't of prepared this breakfast to just catch up with old friends. She did it because there was a very important matter that she needed to discuss with them. 

"It's so nice to see you again Erza." Lucy said. "But I have no idea where you've been all this time or what you've been doing. You're always so secretive."

"Well you'll be happy to know that today I plan to tell you all of my little secrets but first I need to ask you something?"

"What?"

"What do you know about Archibald Heartfilia?"

"Not much except that he was my grandfather. He died long before I was born.

"Did you know what he did for a living?"

"He was a wealthy banker."

"Yes that's what he was during the day but his night life as I suspect was kept a secret from you and the rest of your family."

"I don't understand."

"Does this have something to do with Gray?" Juvia asked.

"Who's Gray?" Lucy asked.

"Allow me to explain." Erza said. "In 1462 a man stricken with a hatred toward God became the first vampire and in that same year a devil's a long dormant power was released from within. The two monsters terrorized many lives and were driven by revenge that is until 1875 when famous vampire hunter Archibald Heartfilia staked the vampire and helped exorcists seal away the devil. Both remained in a deathlike state until they were revived in 1925 by me and now they are my servants and my secret weapon against the occult enemy."

"Occult? What is that? What are you talking about?" Lucy asked.

"I'm saying that there are things that go bump in the night Lucy and we are the ones who bump back."

"We?"

"Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster. The two most powerful and dangerous beings of the occult that have ever known on this face of the earth. One a very rebellious, impulsive, and hot tempered vampire, the other a bitter, cold, and seemingly soulless devil. When I freed them from their prisons as a child a contract was formed in which they now serve me and obey my every command until I release them from the contract."

"Wait a minute there's no such thing as a vampire." Lucy said. "I mean...What I saw last night looked like one but...No...No...No they can't be real."

"I can assure you that they are real they just keep a low profile. However nowadays it's for the best that only a select few of people know about them."

"Why are you telling us this?" Juvia asked.

"Because over the last few years Natsu and Gray having been becoming more and more difficult to control and I'm a busy woman so I can't always keep an eye of them. That's where you two come in."

"Huh?" The blonde and bluentte said in confusion.

"I have a huge favor to ask of the both of you, I need you to partner up with my servants and try to keep them under control when I'm not around."

"But why us?" Lucy asked.

"Well who better to keep control of the greatest vampire than the one who slayed him or rather a direct descend of the one who slayed him."

"But I've never killed a vampire in my life."

"Good. I don't want you to kill him I want you to keep him under control."

"What makes you so sure I can do that?" 

"Faith and history. Believe it or not Lucy but you do have instinct to fight and kill vampires. It'll come to you when you need it most." 

"But why do you need me?" Juvia asked.

"Juvia you're not only a nun but you've been trained in exorcism at the covenant. Surely with what you've been taught you can handle a devil." Erza explained.

"But why not ask someone more advanced to do it?" She asked. "There are plenty more members of the church more skilled in exorcism than I am."

"Perhaps but I don't just need someone who is skilled in exorcism." 

"I don't understand."

"Do you remember back during your school days you wrote a paper on how the church should consider trying to reform natural born devils?"

"Yes. I got an F on that paper."

"Nevertheless you still believe what you wrote right?"

"Yes but I'm not that passionate about it."

"Still you believe that natural born devils can be redeemed. Gray is a natural born devil and I need someone who can be patient and compassionate with him. Other members of the church maybe more advanced exorcists but they feel nothing but hatred and contempt for all devils, vampires, and creatures of the occult. If I had asked any of them for this they would have just killed Gray in two seconds flat."

"Still I don't know if I'm up to this." Juvia said.

"Me too." Lucy added. "I'm not even sure if this is all real. In fact I'm pretty sure that it isn't and I am just having a nervous breakdown."

Erza sighed and took another sip of her tea.

"Come with me." She told her friends calmly.

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked.

"To properly meet my boys."


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy and Juvia followed Erza downstairs into a basement but it looked more like some sort of facility. They approached a door.

"Before we enter. Juvia would you mind wearing this on your wrist?" Erza showing Juvia the watch trigger that she had showed her from last night.

"Sure." Juvia said and Erza fashioned it on to her wrist. "But why do you want me to wear it?"

"Oh you'll find out."

Erza then gave the door a knock. It was opened by Gray, when he saw Juvia she felt like he was feeling intense hatred and anger toward her. Then he without a word he just looked away from her.

"What do you want Erza?" He asked.

"Gray I would like you to meet my oldest and dearest friends Lucy Heartfilia and Sister Juvia Lockser."

"Lucy, Juvia this is Gray Fullbuster my devil manservant."

"Hey that's not funny Erza! I am no one's manservant!"

"Oh hush you know you are! Just accept it!"

"Wait a minute this guy is a devil?" Lucy said skeptically.

"Yep."

"Um...Shouldn't he be surrounded by fire, all red, and have a beard and a pitchfork?"

"You mean how they portray devils in the comics?" Erza said.

"I hate those comic books." Gray said. "I don't look anything like those freaks in there."

"You will find Lucy that most devils who reside on earth look like ordinary human beings and hardly ever look monstrous at all and that's what makes them even more dangerous." Erza said. "However Gray here is an interesting case. His parents were human and he was raised in the Protestant church so you could say he's kind of like the Anti, Anti Christ."

"What's the point of this introduction Erza?" Gray said.

"Well I thought that it would be necessary for you to have a proper introduction to the woman you would be working with."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well Gray as you know I've been very busy lately with managing the organization and I can't keep an eye on you as much as I used to. So I've decided to assign you a partner to keep you under control and Sister Lockser here is just the person for the job."

"No way in hell am I going to be partners with her!" Gray objected.

"You have no choice in the matter." Erza said.

"Erza I know that I can't disobey an order from you but I am willing to try this time! You can't do this to me!"

"I can and I will."

"But why her?! I couldn't possibly work with this pathetic looking creature! She's just an accident waiting to happen! Throw her out!"

"Excuse me?!" Juvia said feeling insulted. "You're being awfully high and mighty and rude to me for no reason! I do believe that you owe me an apology."

"I'm not really one for apologies woman."

"My name is Juvia."

"Like I care. Now get out."

"Your manners are absolutely atrocious."

"Enough both of you." Erza said. "Gray like it or not you're working with her." 

"You can't make me." Gray said like a petulant child.

"I see. Well I guess I can't I? Such a pity. I was so hoping this would work out." As she said this she walked around and then topped to stand behind Juvia. "But Gray I have two words for you."

"What?" He asked.

"Pucker up."

With that said she shoved Juvia as hard as she could causing her go right into Gray and smack! Their lips met in a surprise kiss. When they parted Juvia covered her mouth with her hands while her cheeks turned burning red. Gray's cheeks also turned red from both anger and embarrass ment.

"There now you have no choice but to work with her because as of now she's the only one who can undo the seal on your trigger." Erza said.

"That was dirty Erza!" Gray said.

"I know but you forced my hand." 

"My lips!" Juvia cried. "They're unclean!"

"Calm down Juvia. They're not going to expel you from the convent over a small kiss." Erza said. "Especially if said kiss has given you the ability to control when a devil can use his powers. All you need to do is press that little stopper on top of the trigger and the seal will be undone. To re conceal his powers just hit it again. Only you can do it. Nobody else can. Not even him."

"I'm gonna get you for this Erza!" Gray said angrily.

"Really Gray it won't be that bad working with her. You might even end up liking her a little."

Gray growled and gave Erza a death glare, she gave him one back which was ten times as scary as his. He cowered back a little. Finally after giving a few huffs of frustration he gave in to her demands.

"Fine I'll work with her."

"Good boy." She grinned.

"Shut up! I'm still gonna get you for this!"

"Yeah right. Now I'm going to introduce them to Natsu."

He mumbled a few curse words before slamming the door to his room. After that Erza led Lucy and Juvia to the room that was at the end of the hallway. She knocked a few times but no one answered so she pulled a ring from her pocket that held some keys. Using the black key she unlocked the door and opened it. There was nothing inside except a coffin. Erza walked over to the coffin and started kicking it. It wasn't long before Natsu came out looking very cranky.

"What?! Can't you see I'm sleeping here?!" He snapped.

"I have some people that I want you to meet."

Natsu rolled his eyes, got out of the coffin, and went to meet the two women standing at the doorway. He recognized Juvia from earlier and he immediately recognized Lucy as the same young woman he had saved last night and she recognized him.

"You again?!" Natsu and Lucy said.

"So you two have already met. How nice. Lucy, Juvia I would like you to meet my other agent Natsu Dragneel the vampire. Natsu these are my dear friends from way back Lucy Heartfilia and Sister Juvia Lockser."

"Heartfilia?" Natsu asked, the last name triggering a memory from the past. "Any relation to that psycho vampire hunter Archibald Heartfilia?"

"Yes. She is his granddaughter."

"Hmmm..." He turned to Lucy. "I knew there was a reason that I didn't like you."

"What do you mean?" She said.

"Your grandpa happens to be the guy who locked me in a box for a hundred years."

"Don't exaggerate it was only fifty years." Erza said.

"That's not the point! That old man kept me in a prison that was like hell on earth! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't bite this woman and drink every last drop of blood in her body?!"

Lucy and Juvia both held on to each other in fear while trembling. Erza just rolled her eyes and calmly approached him.

"I'll give you three good reasons." Erza said. "Number one Arthur was the one who staked you not her, number two just because she descended from Arthur doesn't mean she's like him, and number three if you do such a thing I'll stake you and burn your body and your coffin to ensure that no one revives you again!"

Natsu shuddered at Erza's threat and gulped nervously. He didn't always act like it but Erza was the one thing in this world that Natsu feared the most. Even as a child when she had revived him all those years ago, she had found ways to discipline and terrify him. Natsu would never admit it but she was the only one who could bring him to his knees like a pitiful old man begging for his life. 

"Now listen here bat boy due to the fact that I can't keep an eye on you and Gray as much as I used to I have assigned these women to keep you two in check."

"You can't be serious!"

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

"Erza I'm not doing this." Lucy said. "I don't even know this man. Why on earth would I work with him? And besides I have more important things to do."

"Lucy I need your help. Yours and Juvia's."

"But why? Why do you need us? What's this all about?"

"I will explain everything to all of you tonight at dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yes. I expect you to be in the dinning hall at six o'clock this evening. Natsu you and Gray know how I feel about lateness so you will definitely be on time correct?"

"Yes ma'am." The vampire groaned.

"Excellent. Now you two go back upstairs, you will be escorted out by the help and I'll see you tonight at six."

Lucy and Juvia were very confused but they had each known Erza since their school days and she had never steered them wrong before. So they trusted that she knew what she was doing and made plans to return to her house for dinner that night.

"I can't believe you're making me work with the granddaughter of my arch enemy." Natsu said to his mistress. "What if she leads me into a trap and her grandpa stakes me?"

"Natsu, Archibald Heartfilia is dead. He's been dead for thirty-eight years."

"Oh...But how the hell is she going to help me? Have you even thought this through?"

"Natsu I'm surprised. You always know that I think my plans through before putting them into action. That's you who acts before thinking."

"Still I don't like this. What are you up to Erza?"

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing."


	6. Chapter 6

At six o'clock Lucy and Juvia returned to Erza's manner for dinner. When Gray didn't show up, Erza insisted that Juvia go get him. She was hesitant to do so but complied. She went down to his room and gave a polite knock on the door.

"Excuse me Gray." She said.

"Go away!" He shouted.

She opened the door and went inside anyway.

"Erza wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready." She said.

"I don't care. I'm not hungry."

Just then his stomach made a growling noise.

"Your stomach says different." She said. "Come on, don't starve yourself."

He looked at her suspiciously.

"What are you up to?" He asked.

"Nothing. Erza told me to come and get you. Look it's fair to say that you don't like me."

"Oh it's way more than fair."

"And I understand that you're mad-"

"Mad? I think mad is far too timid. I am seething. Seething with pure rage! The humiliation of me having to serve a little girl like you! It's bad enough that I was bound by a child once but twice!"

"I am not a child! I am twenty-one years old!"

"Whatever! If I didn't need to keep my temper under control you'd be sorry that you ever met me!"

"I already am sorry but there's nothing we can do about it now. Like it or not we're going to be working with each other for awhile so why can't we be friends? Or at least acquaintances?"

"Doesn't your religion forbid you from fraternizing with devils?"

"Yes and no. We're not supposed to take part in devilish actions but we're supposed to extend kindness to everyone. "

"How touching." He said sarcastically. "But you should know this isn't a touching business. Do you even know what we do here?" 

"Sort of." 

"Well let me give you an explanation. We hunt down and kill devils, vampires, and other creatures of the occult who prey on humans. And by kill I mean kill. Take their life, destroy them, put an end to their existence."

"I know what kill means." 

"Clearly not because if you did you would back out." 

"What makes you say that?" 

"Obviously you're not fit for the job." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Listen nun girl praying and being all holy like will not get rid of creatures who go after humans. You have to be tough to do this job." 

"I can be tough." 

"Oh really? So tell me sister what would you do if a devil had you completely trapped?" 

His question was answered when Juvia pointed a gun in his face. 

"I would shoot him in the face." She said. 

"What the- What are you doing with a gun? I thought you church people didn't use weapons." 

"You know just because we're not too fond of violence doesn't mean we'll let something or someone just kill us." She said. "I wasn't brought up in some ordinary Catholic church. I was raised in one that taught me not only how to perform exorcisms and but also how to eliminate devils with a specially built gun that fires specially built bullets. You know these bullets won't even scratch human skin but they can break every bone, artery, and organ in a devil's body." 

"Oh...How interesting." He said feeling his earlier jerk like demeanor fall. "Would you mind not pointing that at me?" 

"Calm down the safety is on." Juvia lowered her gun. "Bottom line is I know how to defend myself against a devil. But to be honest I oppose the use of violence to solve conflict unless it's absolutely necessary." 

"What kind of crazy church do you attend?" Gray said.

"The Kardia Order. Best place to find an exorcist and their services are free. Mother Mcgarden insists that there is no price to help those in need." 

"Never heard of the place or this Mother Mcgarden lady. Is she your actual mother?" 

"No. She's the mother superior." 

"Huh?" 

"The head of the nunnery and one of my teachers." 

"Father Redfox thinks that she can be a pill but I think he likes her more than he lets on." 

"Redfox?" He said. 

"He's the head of the church milita." 

"The church has a militia?"

"Unorthodox I know but it's proven to be very useful." 

"Redfox..." Gray said thinking. There something very familiar about that name but he couldn't put his finger on it. Why did the name tease a memory of his? 

"Something wrong?" She asked. 

"No just thinking about something." 

"So will you be coming to dinner?" 

"I don't have a choice do I?" 

"I'd like to think that you do but Erza told me to tell you that if you don't come she'll hurt you." 

"Like I said I don't have a choice do I?" 

So reluctantly he went with her upstairs to have dinner. However Lucy and Juvia weren't prepared to watch how Natsu and Gray ate their meal. For one thing their food consisted of something fleshy and full of blood. And they ate like a pack of ravenous wolves, tearing through the meat and licking up as much blood drippings as they could get. 

"I'm not so hungry anymore." Lucy said. "What exactly are they eating?" 

"Liver, lungs, and heart." 

Lucy and Juvia looked at her in horror. 

"Relax they're the liver, lungs, and heart of a pig and a bull." Erza assured them. 

"It doesn't look all that well done." Juvia observed. 

"That's because it's not cooked." 

"They eat it raw?" Lucy said 

"Of course. Raw protein is very healthy for them. Makes both their bones and skin stronger and easier to heal. And the bloodier the better." 

"It gives that special flavor." Natsu said licking the blood from his fangs.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Lucy said turning a little green. 

"I agree they're table manners are repulsive." Erza said. "Really boys, can't you eat in a more civilized manner?" 

"We can we just choose not to." Natsu said. 

"Slobs." Lucy mumbled under her breath. 

Once everyone had eaten Erza began their discussion. 

"So the issue is that there have been many vampire attacks taking place and I have reason to believe that they're linked." Erza explained. 

"Why do you think that?" Natsu asked. 

"At each scene of an attack, whatever blood remains is used to make a symbol and it's always the same one. This could be a cult or legion at work here." 

"Any living witnesses?" 

"None so far. Investigation begins tomorrow night so you all better get some sleep." 

"Hold on what are we doing?" Lucy asked. 

"You and Juvia will be joining us on our investigation. Don't worry you'll both be well protected and I trust that you both know how to defend yourselves?" 

"Yes." Juvia said holding up her gun to prove a point. 

"Whoa you use a gun?" Natsu asked. 

"Only in a dire situation but yes. The Kardia is a firm believer in peace but also in self dense so it is mandatory that all members learn how to use a firearm." 

"Hmm...I like this nun." 

"Well maybe Juvia can defend herself but I can't." Lucy said. "Before the other day I thought vampires and stuff like that were all just stories used to scare kids. Now I find out that not only do they exist but I have to fight them?"

"I'm surprised your family never told you." Erza said. "You do come from a long line of vampire hunters. On your father's side that is."

"I know for a fact that my father never hunted vampires."

"Probably because he didn't believe in it. If I remember correctly your father never was open to the idea of the super natural."

"Could't this be a mistake? I'm pretty sure my family has never had anything to do with vampires."

"It's no mistake. You are the granddaughter of Archibald Heartfilia. The one and only hunter who was able to defeat the greatest vampire in the world."

"I still can't believe I was beaten by an old man." Natsu said feeling humiliated. 

"The Heartfilia family was the best in the business." Erza said. "And the greatest of them all was your grandfather. At least that's what I've read in the books."

"Books?"

"Your ancestors did not what the world to forget the existence of vampires and to always be wary of them so they wrote novels telling of their adventures and of how to defeat vampires." Erza pulled a book with a hard leather cover from one of the shelves in the living room. She then handed it to Lucy. "Your grandfather wrote this copy. It will tell you everything you need to know about vampires."

"Thanks. I hope reading this will help me."

"I'm sure it will. Now then I believe you two should go home and get some rest. You have very big night tomorrow."

The girls thanked Erza for dinner and left the house to return to the car. Natsu and Gray watched them from the window.

"What do you think of them?" Gray asked Natsu.

"That blonde is definitely related to Archibald. She has the same attitude as him. That high class arrogant manner."

"I don't really see her as arrogant but she does carry a certain air about her. Of course that's common in all rich people."

Gray's eyes then turned from Lucy to Juvia and his gaze did not leave her until she got into the vehicle and it drove away. 

"Looks just like her doesn't she?" Natsu said in teasing manner.

Gray's eyes flashed that chilling silver color and he moved to grab Natsu's throat but he quickly moved out of the way.

"Oh did I strike a nerve?" Natsu asked.

"Shut up!" Gray snapped. "How dare you mention her after what you did!"

"After what I did? What the hell did I do?"

"Don't pull that shit with me! You know very well what you did! And as God as my witness I'll never forgive you for it! What you did was the ultimate betrayal!"

"What I did was the ultimate betrayal?! What about you?!"

"I didn't do anything to betray you!"

"You picked that great big heavenly hypocrite over me! You swore that you would always be loyal!"

"I was loyal to you til that day! That day you took everything that ever matter to me! And when the day comes that Erza finally releases us from her contract I will kill you!"

"Ditto for me!"

They gave each other one more glare of pure hate before retiring for the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Lucy and Juvia were quite unsure of their new position. Lucy wasn't even sure if any of it was real. Despite coming from a long line of vampire hunters, she like most people in this era had grown up believing the vampires, devils, and other creatures associated with them were nothing more then mythical monsters that only existed in scary stories. It just all seemed so unreal to her. What was especially shocking about all this fact that her family hunted these creatures and she was never told. Why would her family keep this a secret from her?

For Juvia it wasn't that hard for her to believe. Having been raised in a church that had it's own militia against the occult, it was only natural that she had been schooled on the subject of not only devils but vampires, werewolves, evil spirits, and anything else relating to the paranormal. In fact her earliest memory was of Mother Mcgarden drawing a sacred circle around her cradle to keep away imps because according to legend they would sometimes steal infants. So all of this wasn't really a big shock for her. 

When night came the next day, the two young women went to meet with Erza and her man servants as that was what she referred to them as. She wanted them to look into the latest scene of a vampire attack while she would be in a very important meeting. The attack was at an old clock tower located somewhere near downtown. All the mechanics who worked on the gears of the clock and the people who kept the clocks clean were all dead. Their blood drained out of them while their bodies were left to rot. Natsu's job was to investigate the bottom half of the clock while staking any of the victims who could possibly awaken as vampires themselves while Gray would check the rooftops for any remaining vampires and evidence that could lead them to the source of where they were coming from.

"Lucy I want you to stay with Natsu. Juvia you will go with Gray." Erza said. "And boys you will make sure that nothing terrible befalls either one of them. Understand?"

"We understand." Natsu and Gray said reluctantly. 

"Good. Lucy you will need this." Erza handed a very unusual bracelet to her. For one thing it wasn't a chain braclet but instead a metal cuff and it branded the symbol of the sun on the front of it. 

"What is this?" Lucy asked.

"Call it a family heirloom. Your grandfather had this made for your grandmother to wear all the time in case she was attacked by a vampire when he wasn't around. It has the ability to project artificial solar energy."

"Artificial solar energy? You mean like fake sunlight?"

"Correct. If you encounter a vampire aim your wrist at it and run your hand over the symbol. That will cause the bracelet to work."

"But won't it burn Natsu or something?"

"No. I give him daily injections that make his skin immune to sunlight. He should be unaffected by the bracelet."

"Okay."

She then turned to Juvia.

"Keep that watch around your wrist always. Don't lose it or let anyone else get their hands on it. But above all do not press that trigger unless it is an absolute emergency."

"Alright but how will I know if it's an emergency or not?"

"Gray will tell you. Now I have to go but I will be back as soon as I can. Good luck to you all."

Erza stepped into her vehicle and drove away. The four of them looked up at the huge clock tower then went inside. The entire bottom floor was scattered with dead bodies, their neck bleeding out and their eyes open to show no sign of life. Juvia quickly made the Catholic sign and said a silent prayer that the souls of these unfortunate men would find eternal peace and happiness in heaven.

"Okay sister let's get going." Gray told her. "We don't have all night."

He and Juvia started to go up the stairs of the clock tower while Natsu started to sniff nearly every body in the room. Lucy on the other hand could only just stand there and feel sick to her stomach. It was revolting and horrifying, she almost threw up.

"Why are you sniffing them?" Lucy said looking so terribly pale.

"I'm trying to smell if there's a change in their blood." Natsu said. "If their blood still smells human than there's no need for me to do anything to them. However if their blood smells similar to mine then that means by tomorrow night they will rise again as vampires so I must stake them in their heart or cut off their head and burn their body to prevent such a thing."

"How can you do this? I mean doesn't this frighten you or make you ill?" 

"From what I've seen over the years nothing disturbs me anymore."

"I'm surprised you're doing this. You're a vampire but you kill other vampires. Does that make you feel morally conflicted?"

"No. There was a time when I was proud to be a vampire and I liked the idea of making other people vampires because as a vampire you have immortality. You don't have to fear death and you can just go on living for as long as you wish but eventually I realized that all of that came at a terrible price."

"What price is that?"

"Isn't it obvious? The price is that to keep on living you have to prey on people. Carve them up like a butcher does to meat and in the beginning I didn't mind that but someone changed my mind and made me see the evil in it."

"Who?"

"None of your business." He pulled a wooden stake from his belt and plunged it into the chest of one corpse. 

"So do you not drink blood?" She asked.

"That's a dumb question. Of course I drink blood. I'm a vampire and as long as I live I'll need to drink blood to keep myself going but I don't kill to get my blood."

"What do you mean?"

"Erza pays to have pints of blood given to me from a blood bank. If it weren't for those I'd probably either die or go on an insane blood sucking frenzy."

"That's sad."

"It's not sad it's nature. It's how all vampires are."

"Still it's sad because it's not like they had a say in becoming a vampire. They were just normal human beings until they were killed them and infected with that disease."

"You're only half right. Most of the vampires didn't have a choice in their transformation but there are those who did. I know I had a choice."

"You chose to be a vampire?" Lucy said in shock.

"Yes I did."

"Why? Why on earth would choose to become such a monster? Did you have any idea what kind of life you would have when you made that choice?"

"Funny." Natsu chuckled. "You sound so much like your grandfather. He never understood why I made the choice either. In fact when I told him that I became this way through choice he said that I must've been completely mad when I was human. That no sane human being would ever want to become a vampire. I guess he was right. When the time came for me to make that choice I had pretty much lost all reason."

"What do you mean?"

"It's ancient history now. I'd rather not talk about what happened before I grew fangs. In fact you could say that the man I was before all that no longer exists and I'm trying so very hard to forget that man."

"Why?"

"Again none of your business."

Natsu did indeed regret choosing to turn himself into a vampire. While he still harbored hatred toward God, he hated all the pain and suffering he had caused so many people due to that one choice he had made. He had foolishly convinced himself that becoming a vampire had been a great blessing but in truth it was a curse. A curse that he had not only inflicted on to himself to many innocent people. To make matters worse it had taken him so many years to finally realize the mistake he had made. He had realized it on the day that Archibald had finally bested him. 

Natsu had fallen that day. His castle had been plundered, his dominion in ruin, his servants destroyed, and the woman he pursed had fled into the arms of her husband. He had no choice but to accept his fate on that day. But nevertheless he respected Archibald for being the first person in history to defeat him. Looking into the vampire hunter's eyes he could tell that the man felt both sympathy and contempt for him. Contempt for all the lives he had taken and cursed and sympathy for the fact that Natsu was doomed to have such a miserable existence. As long as he lived he would never forget those brown eyes of sympathy and contempt. He saw those exact eyes in Lucy. 

However while her eyes did indeed hold that same sympathy for him they did not hold the same contempt. But that only because she didn't know about all the evil he had committed. No doubt if she did she would have that exact same contempt. 

"You have his eyes you know." He said.

"What?"

"You have your grandfather's eyes."

"Really? Because most people say that take after my mother's side of the family."

"I didn't say you looked like him. When it comes to your hair and your facial structure you don't look anything like the old man. But if you've inherited one thing from him it's his eyes. They're exactly like his."

"Oh...Are you sure?"

"Trust me I could never forget those eyes. They've haunted my nightmares for years."

"You really hated my grandfather didn't you?"

"Well the man did stab me in the heart with a wooden stake that caused me to become comatose for centuries so I can't say that I had any love for him. But I did respect him. I respect that he was able to actually defeat me when no other creature could. Not even Gray who was a full blooded devil. Back then I never thought a human would be my undoing so I was very impressed with him. But most of all I respected that with every vampire life he took he showed no pleasure in it. He always looked at killing them as a final resort. No other way. Because he knew that those blood sucking monsters were once human beings like him."

Hearing this made Lucy wish that she had gotten to know her grandfather because judging by Natsu's words he sounded like a very brave and compassionate man. Something that was very hard to find. At least in her case. 


	8. Chapter 8

Gray and Juvia climbed the stairway all the way to the top of the clock tower. During the climb Gray noticed that she was trailing behind a little and that she looked kind up nervous.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked her.

"Oh nothing it's just that um..." She said looking down. "I wish that Erza assigned us to work on the bottom level."

"Don't tell me that you're afraid of heights."

"No it's just that being twenty feet off the ground makes me a little uncomfortable."

"Are you always so easily frightened?"

"I wouldn't say frightened. More like cautious. So have you ever done this before?"

"Of course I have! What kind of a stupid question is that?"

"You sir have poor manners. Didn't your mother ever teach you how to properly speak to a lady?"

"No. My mother never taught me anything. She died the day I was born."

Juvia became silent for a moment and gave him her most sympathetic and compassionate look.

"No wonder you're so ill tempered. You never knew your mother." She said.

"I am not ill tempered! And if I was it wouldn't be because I didn't get to know my mother."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I never knew my mother either or my father. i'm an orphan you know?"

"There are plenty of orphans in the world sister."

"You're not exactly the sensitive type are you?"

"Just be quiet and keep moving."

They finally reached the top and Gray began searching for any sign of evil that might have stayed behind. At the moment it didn't seem like there was nothing to fear from where they were standing but then Gray felt a shiver go up his spine. That only happened when something evil was close and it was close. 

"There's something here." He pulled a blade from his belt that was made entirely out of silver. Juvia quickly loaded up her gun. A figure then stepped out from the darkness, giving a sinister chuckle that almost made Juvia tremble. Almost.

"Oh crap. A pure blood." Gray mumbled.

"A pure blood? What's that?" Juvia asked.

"It's a vampire that was never human to begin with. They consider themselves superior to every creature on earth and they find every vampire who once had human blood to be no better than common dirt."

"This guy was never human? So where did he come from?"

"That's not important right now. Damn a blade of silver won't be enough to take him down."

"Well isn't this a disappointing sight." The figure chuckled. "I was expecting to find Natsu up here not whoever you two are."

"You know Natsu?" Gray asked.

"I've never met him personally but I know of him and so does my mistress. In fact she has given me strict orders to draw him out."

"Is that why you killed all those people downstairs?"

"Yes."

"Well then you've lost all my sympathies. Normally I try to sympathize with vampires because you can't help but kill for blood but this is just sick."

"I do not need a human's sympathies! However I'm sure that once a slaughter you two if will definitely bring Natsu up here to face me! Prepare to die!"

His nails became fearfully large talons and lunged forward to tear Gray apart only to be stopped when Gray grabbed him by his wrist. The vampire was shocked by Gray's strength.

"How did you-" 

"That's the thing about you pure blooded vampires." Gray said chuckling. "You think you're so powerful that you never consider that anyone could be a threat to you. In other words you were wrong to assume that I'm human."

He then twisted the vampire's arm and sent him flying backward. 

"Juvia I'm gonna need you to undo the seal on my trigger." Gray told her. 

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes it's an emergency but I have one request."

"What's that?"

"Once you undo the seal don't look at me."

"Why?"

"Just don't! Don't look at me until I've told you too. Understand?!"

"I understand."

She walked outside of the room and turned her back. 

"I mean it Juvia. No matter what you hear don't look at me." 

"Okay." She then pressed the button on top of the pocket watch. The watch started to shake and tick like crazy. She heard a terrifying roar that made her finally start to tremble but she didn't turn around to see who or what had made that roar. 

"So you're a devil." She heard the vampire say in a amused voice. "I must say you hide your scent very well because I was sure you smelled like an ordinary human. But even in your true form, you don't stand a chance against me!"

The noises she heard were just dreadful. She heard the sound of flesh being torn and a blade being sliced through something. She also heard a splatter of something. She tried to force herself to picture it as anything other than blood. She wanted so desperately to see what was happening but if she looked she would see Gray and she had told him that she wouldn't look at him. 

Suddenly she heard a noise that sounded like something hard being slammed against the floor. The top of the clock tower started to collapse. She didn't move quick enough and was sent falling off the tower. She screamed, closed her eyes, and waited for the impact of the ground below to take her life. But she felt no such impact. Instead she felt a pair of strong arm catch her with one hand under her knees and another supporting her back. The shock of it forced her to open her eyes and look up where she saw that her savior was unlike anything she had ever seen.

His hair was wild and un-kept, his shirt had been torn off due to some force revealing him to have a very toned chest, his nails had been replaced by claws, his ears were now pointed, small horns were sticking out from his head, on his back were a pair of black wings that reminded her of a gargoyle's, and his face held a certain darkness about it. Yet despite all these changes that had been made to him Juvia could recognize him. 

"Gray?" She said.

His eyes were filled with instant shame and he looked away from her. 

"I told you not to look at me." He said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to but when you caught me I-"

"It's fine. You were going to see me sooner or later I guess. Well now that you have take a good long look. This is what I really look like."

Juvia was silent for the longest time. She just took a moment to really take in his appearance. Poor Gray couldn't bear to see the fear in her eyes. No doubt now that she had seen him for he really looked like she try to exorcise him or something like that. But then he felt her hand touch his cheek and turn his face toward her. 

"Incredible." She said.

"Huh?" She started to give his cheeks a little pull. "Hey! What are you doing?!"

"I always suspected that natural born devils weren't as scary or hideous looking as the regular kind. But I never imagined that they would be so beautiful."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not nearly as awful looking as the other devils that I've seen. But that's probably because unlike them, you were born into being a devil which kind of makes you innocent so that's why you're not so monstrous. I wish I had brought my camera because there's no way everyone at Kardia Cathedral is going to believe this."

"Hold up, let me get this straight you're not afraid of me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Well for one thing you did just save me from falling to my death and oh my goodness! We're so very high up!" When she looked down to see how high they were she became scared and clung to Gray's neck which shocked him. "Alright! I admit it! I'm afraid of heights! They scare me more than anything! So can we please get back on the ground?!"

"I don't believe this." Gray thought to himself. "She's more scared of falling than over me."

"Alright we're going back down just don't start squirming or I'll drop you."

"No! Don't drop me! Don't drop me!"

"I won't ! I won't! I swear! Calm down!"

"Okay." She breathed. "I'm calm. I'm calm."

"And loosen up on my neck will ya? You're choking me here!"

"Sorry."

He glided over to the lower half of the clock tower and put her down.

"So you really aren't scared?" He asked her again. 

"Well I am a little intimidated by how much taller you are in this form. Good Lord you must be about 213 cm. I need to write this down in my notes and your ears."

"What's wrong with my ears?"

"Nothing I just didn't think devils had any. I thought they could hear through their horns. Well you learn something knew everyday. I can't wait to tell the church about this."

"You are one strange nun."

"You say that like it's a bad thing?" She giggled. "Hey what are your teeth like?"

She stood up on her tip toes and opened up his mouth. His teeth were indeed sharp enough to be considered fangs.

"So you do have fangs but they're so white. You know they always said that a devil's teeth were either yellow or black but these are like freshly fallen snow. You must have very good hygiene. Tell me do you ever see a dentist?"

"Get your hands out of my mouth!" He said.

She then walked behind him and looked at his rear end.

"Whoa! What the heck do you think you're doing?" Gray asked blushing.

"I'm checking to see if you have a tail. Apparently not unless you keep it inside your pants."

"I don't have a tail and stop looking at my butt!"

Now it was her turn to blush. 

"Oh I'm sorry!" She said feeling embarrassed. "It's not what you think! I don't mean to be so unethical here but it's just so amazing to see a devil with features like yours."

"What are you talking about? All devils have horns, wings, upper body strength, claws, and fangs."

"True but your face is so...It's just so interesting. It looks human yet at that same time it doesn't and your eyes, they're still human like. I mean yes that have that glow but it's still like the eyes of a human man."

"Would you please stop doing...whatever it is you're doing? It's making me uncomfortable."

"Again I'm sorry. I'll stop."

"Good now change me back before someone sees."

She hit the button on the watch and he reverted back to the form he had taken on earlier. 

"By the way, thank you for saving my life." Juvia said.

He became stiff for a moment but then answered.

"You're welcome." 


	9. Chapter 9

Gray and Juvia went back to the bottom of the clock tower to find that Natsu had successfully staked all the dead bodies that could possibly come back as vampires. 

"I heard a loud ruckus from upstairs and I see that Gray's not wearing a shirt. I'm guessing something happened where you had to go full devil?" Natsu said.

"There was pure blood vampire on the top floor, undoing the seal couldn't be avoided." Gray said. "By the way apparently this was no random attack."

"What do you mean?"

"Son of a bitch killed all these people as a way to draw you out."

"Me? Why?"

"I have no idea. Tell me do you know this creep?" Gray asked holding up the severed head of the vampire he had killed. Lucy and Juvia both screamed in terror.

"Women." Natsu scoffed, feeling irritated by their screaming.

"Why do you have a head?!" Lucy cried.

"So Natsu could identify him." Gray said. "So what do you say bat brain? Recognize this freak from anywhere?"

"No. Can't say I have."

"In that case just burn his head along with the rest of his body." Gray said handing the head to Natsu. "I'm going to call Erza."

"Right." Natsu said. 

Gray stepped out of the clock tower to find the nearest place that had a phone line.

"Wouldn't Gray be the one to set the body on fire?" Lucy asked. "I mean aren't devils typically associated with fire and brimstone?"

"Only the ones that were once human and are currently rotting in hell. Also Gray has a thing about fire, he can't even bring himself to look at it."

"Why?"

"Let's just say it brings back bad memories."

Without another word Natsu went upstairs alone where he would burn both the head and body of the vampire that Gray had slain. Lucy and Juvia stayed behind on the bottom, not sure that either of them would be much help in setting a body on fire.

"So..." Lucy said to Juvia, trying to break the awkward silence. "Did you see him in his full devil form?"

"Yes." She answered. 

"What did he look like? Was he scary? Was he ugly? Was he disgusting?"

"He was scary." Juvia admitted. "But he wasn't ugly or disgusting at all. In fact the strange thing was, I wasn't frightened of him." 

"Really? You weren't scared at all."

"No. It was so weird. Usually the very minute I recognize a devil I become so terrified I can't breathe but him... There's no fear. It's like I already knew he wouldn't harm me."

"Typical, you can always see the good in everyone. Even in devils."

"Well I try to but there isn't always good in everyone. Hence why I keep a gun with me." She said pulling her weapon out.

"You know it's amazing how you can go from holier than thou and gun slinger in just two seconds."

"Can't help it. That's how I was raised though I'm sure that if anyone from the church knew I was helping a devil they would be quite cross."

"I know for a fact that my father must never know of this."

"In a sense doesn't he already know that you're family is at least involved with vampires."

"Right now I don't know what he knows but until I figure out what's really going on in my family I want to keep this from him."

"I won't breathe a word ofthis to him or anyone else in your household."

"Thanks."

Meanwhile on the other side of town Erza was on the phone, listening to Gray's report on how things went at the clock tower.

"So he's been desposed of?" She said over the phone. "Good. Anything else to report?...I see...We'll discuss this when I return...See you tonight."

She then hung up and made her way to the meeting that was being held. It was the members of bureau and they would be discussing certain matters regarding the bureau. .

Upon entering the room where the meeting was being held, an old man who was in the room gave her his most loving smile. It was Makarov Dreyar the head of the bureau and the closest thing Erza had to a parent since the death of her mother.

"Hello Erza." He greeted.

"Hello Makarov." She said with an equally loving smile.

"How are you my dear?"

"I am well but I do wish that we didn't need to do this meeting."

"I know but it's required and I fear that the odds may not be in your favor."

"Nevertheless I shall have my say."

The two then sat down at a table to talk with the other members which included Makarov's grandson Laxus.

"So are we all in agreement that something must be done about this man?" A member called Jura Neekis asked.

"He's a quack!" Laxus spoke. "I say we cut all ties with him and send him to the nearest looney bin."

"How dare you say such things about him!" Erza replied. "You don't even know him."

"I know him enough to know that he's insane."

"Miss Scarlet you do understand that Dr. Fernandes is guilty of grave robbing and doing illegal experiments." Jura said.

"His methods are unorthodox but he's a brilliant man with a good heart." Erza said. "I do believe that he should receive some retribution for what he's done but he's never harmed anyone. Surely we don't have to be so severe with him."

"I agree and I've spoken with the young man." Makarov said. "He's agreed to take responsibility for his actions."

"I suppose we can work something out so long as he never does anything like this again." Jura said. "Does everyone else agree?"

The other members minus Laxus nodded in agreement.

"Then this meeting is finished."

"You can't honestly believe that he won't try this crap again!" Laxus objected. "He's a mad man!"

"Laxus that is enough." Makarov said strictly. "This matter has been settled."

With that said everyone was dismissed from the board room.

"Thank you for speaking on his behalf Makarov." Erza said. "I'm not sure if everyone would have agreed with me if you hadn't of said anything."

"Just be grateful that they don't know about your engagement to the doctor otherwise they would have found my choice to be biased."

Erza looked at Makarov shocked and fearfully. Surprised by his knowledge of her relationship to the doctor.

"How did-"

"I found the ring on your desk during my last visit." He told her. "If I'm not mistaken that ring belonged to his grandmother and he always said that there was only one other woman he could allow to wear that ring. You. So is my hypothesis correct?"

Erza sighed before speaking.

"Yes. Jellal proposed to me a month ago and I accepted. But we've agreed not to wed until our work is finished. Please don't tell anyone about this." 

"Calm yourself, I would never give away such knowledge without your consent though I must say I am deeply hurt that you chose not to disclose this information to me."

"Forgive me. I was afraid you would be upset. I know you always found him to be very strange."

"Strange yes but I could picture no other man being your husband besides him."

Erza smiled, feeling relived that he had accepted her engagement.

"So do those two dunderheads know the good news?"

"No. Not yet. You know how they are on the subject of love. They both think it's a waste of time but if you ask me I think it's because they both had girl trouble in the past."

"What gives you that idea?"

"They both talk in their sleep. They've both mentioned a woman's name and it's always the same name."

"Did you ever talk to them about it?"

"Tried it once or twice but they both say it's none of my business. It's kind of hurtful that we've known each other for all this time and they still don't want to open up to me. I know that they've been through a lot, they're centuries old and God knows what they've seen. I just wish that they could feel comfortable enough to tell me how they feel."

"They're men Erza and since when do men talk about how they feel?"

"Men or not it would be much healthier for them to talk about all these negative emotions instead of keeping them bottled up."

"Oh Erza." Makarov chuckled while shaking his head. "How little you understand a man's pride. But you'll be happy to know this my dear. They love you."

"What?"

"It's true. They may not always show it but I can tell that they both love you a great deal. Even back then when you were a little girl constantly bossing them around they still loved you so very much. I found it to be quite astonishing really. That a vampire and a devil could both love a human child."

"I really hope that's how they feel about me because I love them too. That's why I don't want to discourage Jellal from his work despite how unorthodox it is."

"What do you mean?"

"Jellal believes that he can restore their humanity. He's working on a tonic that when injected into the blood stream it can purify any unholy D.N.A that's in their system. If Jellal really can come up with this cure I plan to give it to them when this whole war is over."

"I don't mean to discourage you Erza but such a thing sounds impossible. Don't you think it would be kind of cruel to give them false hope if it turns out he can't do it?"

"Of course. That's why I've decided not to tell them about it until I know for sure that it works. But Makarov just imagine what we could do if Jellal can actually create this. We wouldn't have to kill vampire victims to keep them from becoming monsters. We could just restore them to their human selves."

"It sounds like a miracle and miracles are so very hard to come by."

"But not impossible. I believe that if anyone can pull this off then it's Jellal. He's genius. A slightly unhinged genius from time to time but a genius no less."

"I'm sure your undying faith in him makes him feel such love and assurance. I will pray that he can perform such a miracle but don't get your hopes up. He's not the first person to try to find a cure for vampirism. Archibald Heartfilia spent his entire life trying to find a cure."

"Still I believe that he can do it."

"Again I'll pray that he does."

"Thank you Makarov. I must go now but I'll talk to you again soon."

"Until then, good luck Erza."

"Good luck to you too and Makarov."

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to know, you're coming to the wedding right?"

"Nothing could stop me from being there."

"Good because I can't think of anyone else to give me away."

He smiled and he kissed her cheek before leaving.


	10. Chapter 10

After the meeting Erza drove her car around to pick up her agents and take them back to her place. As soon as they came back a horrible storm just came out of no where. Rain was pouring down hard, thunder and lighting struck, it was nasty weather. So nasty that Erza insisted that Lucy and Juvia stay the night instead of going home. She had two guest bedrooms made up for them. While the girls slept the boys gave their report to Erza. 

"So this vampire was targeting Natsu?" Erza said upon hearing their report.

"Yeah but he said he didn't know him but his mistress might." Gray said. 

"Mistress?" 

"I think we're dealing with a higher source here." Natsu said. "An empire of sorts, that's when a group of vampires mostly pure bloods get together to serve one grand high vampire."

"Any idea who this grand high vampire might be?" 

"So far I got nothing but we'll find out eventually if she really knows me." Natsu then yawned. "Is it almost dawn?"

"It will be in three hours." Erza answered.

"Really? Well I'm turning in early. I'm exhausted."

"I should get some sleep too. We have another job to look into tomorrow." Erza said. 

"Another one? Geez! Can't we get a break?"

"This is war Natsu and you don't take breaks in war that's how you get killed." She turned to Gray. "Are you going to bed?"

"Yeah I'm not feeling so good." 

"Are you getting sick?"

"No it's just a uncomfortable feeling inside of me. It should go away once I get some sleep. By the way do you really think it was smart to let Juvia and Lucy stay the night?"

"Of course. I couldn't send them out in the god forsaken weather."

"Still I think that they might have been safer if they had gone home."

"What do you mean safer?" Erza asked suspiciously. "You wouldn't hurt them would you?"

"I..." Gray swallowed. "No. Not safer for them. I meant safer for me and Natsu. I mean one's exorcist and one's a vampire hunter...What if they try to kill us?"

"Oh please." Erza said rolling her eyes. "Juvia abhors the use of violence unless it's an emergency and Lucy doesn't know the first thing about killing a vampire at Natsu's level. You're worrying for nothing. Now I'm going to get some sleep and I promise you that you can rest easy tonight."

What Erza failed to realize was that her friends were in potential danger. That uncomfortable feeling inside of Gray was known devil urges. Being a devil, Gray was known to feel sinful urges at a higher degree than humans and tonight he was feeling a terrible lust. He went to bed and tried to sleep off, tried to ignore it, tried to do whatever it took to get away. He had always struggled to resist these urges but this time it was more than he could bear. 

Before he realized it he had risen up from his bed, walked down the hall without making so much as a single noise, and crept into the guest bedroom where Juvia was staying. She was sound asleep in bed, wearing only a nightgown and had no sign that she would be waking up any time soon. He hovered over her bed and gaze at her sleeping form intensely.

He hadn't of felt lust for a long time. A very long time. Now Erza was a very lovely and attractive woman but having seen her grow up from a child made him see her as a sister figure so he felt no lustful feelings toward her and since she was pretty much the only woman he was around since he first woke up he didn't have to worry about lustful urges. Wrath urges were usually his biggest problem but now that this new woman had come into his life, his long dormant lust was reawakened. 

He gently moved moved his fingers across her cheek. She moved to the side a little but still did not wake. She was so beautiful and so pure. Innocent, chaste, untouched, never been tainted by a man. The very thought of taking this virgin drove him mad beyond all reason. 

"Forgive me." He whispered unable to control himself any longer. He pressed his clawed hand to her delicate white throat but not hard enough to wake her and his other hand went toward her chest. He was just about to mark her when a face flashed into his mind. One that was identical to the face of the sleeping woman except this face was awake and had tears of betrayal in her eyes.

He let out a wail of agony that was enough to stir Juvia from her sleep but she didn't see anyone in her room. She got up from her bed and looked around the room to make sure that she was alone. From what she saw no one was in the room except her. 

"That noise must've been a nightmare." She told herself. Walking back to bed she briefly glanced at her reflection in the mirror and saw that there was something red on her cheek. Looking further into her reflection she realized that it was blood but there was no open wound. 

"That's odd." She said putting her fingers to that drop of blood that was on her cheek. 

After wiping it off she went back to bed and fell back asleep very quickly. Unaware that Gray was hiding on the ceiling of the room. He took another look at Juvia which made his body tremble ever so slowly. 

"Madalena." He whispered before shedding another tear of blood. 

...

In the morning Juvia didn't stay for breakfast. She had previously made plans to read to the orphans at the church then help out with donations. Lucy didn't have any plans so she decided to just stay and chat with Erza until something came up.

"Why aren't the boys up?" Lucy asked.

"Natsu typically sleeps during the day. Sunlight is hazardous to vampires." Erza answered.

"But I thought you could give him injections that make it safe for him to be in the sun."

"It keeps him from going up in smoke but the sun's energy still makes him weak and a little tired. He only goes out in daylight if it's an emergency."

"What about Gray? Does he sleep when the sun's up?"

"No. The sun has no negative effect on him but he didn't sleep well last night. I asked what kept him up, he wouldn't tell me. He's always been so secretive, him and Natsu. But I have ways of finding out their little secrets."

"You seem to know those two real well."

"I should. They've pretty much been my enforcers, body guards, and servants since I was twelve years old."

"Since you were twelve?"

"For them it was embarrassing enough to be serving a human but to be serving a human child." Erza chuckled. "They complained about it for a whole year but eventually they got over it."

"May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How much do you know about my grandfather?"

"Not much. I never met the man. I only know what I've read about him in old newspaper reports and what I've heard from other people."

"Do you know why my grandfather staked Natsu all those years ago?"

"Not really no. The only people who would know that would be Natsu and Gray."

"Wait a minute how would Gray know about all that?"

"Well apparently Gray was the one who tipped Archibald off about where Natsu's lair was hence why Natsu holds such a vendetta against Gray but Archibald didn't trust a devil anymore than a vampire so in away he double crossed him by giving away Gray's whereabouts to some local exorcists. Next thing you know they're both locked in a dormant state and hidden underneath the bureau for the next fifty years."

"I guess Grandpa couldn't really be trusted."

"He could be trusted by humans but never by creatures of the supernatural or so that's what Makarov always said." 

"Makarov?"

"You remember him don't you? He's the head of the bureau and the one who took me in after my mother died."

"Oh right! I haven't heard from in so long so I guess sometimes I forget him. He knew my grandfather?"

"In a sense."

"Maybe he could answer some questions for me."

"Possibly. I'll arrange for you two to meet sometime."

"Thank you. Changing the subject, it occurs to me that you never really talk about the family you had before he adopted you."

"Well Juvia never talks about her family."

"That's different, she was a baby when they found her. She can't remember anything before that. But when Makarov found you, you were old enough to remember your parents right?"

She looked down at her cup of tea. Indeed she did remember the life she lived before Makarov came for her. It hadn't of been a perfect life but she found happiness because she had her mother who loved her so much and would do whatever she could to make sure that Erza was safe and happy. Even after all this time had passed she could still remember her mother's face. It was always so warm and smiling with eyes that held nothing but deep love and concern.

Her father was an entirely different story. A man who had nothing but hate inside of him. He was always so angry and so willing to hurt others even his own wife and child. She remembered how sometimes he would come home and just start beating his mother for no reason. If he ever went after her then her mother would do whatever she could to shield her from her father's violent blows while making sure to never let Erza know how much the beatings hurt.

"If it's okay with you Lucy, I'd rather not talk about what happened back then."

"I understand." Lucy said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. It still hurts me to think about my mother...Oh no!"

"What?"

"My mother's brooch! I lost it!"

"Where did you lose it?"

"I don't know. I just dropped it somewhere and- Oh no! That was the last thing I had of her!"

"Oh Lucy I'm so sorry. I know how much your mother meant to you."

"I just can't believe I lost it. It was my favorite piece jewelry, I wore it everywhere. It was like my good luck charm."

"I'm going out to look for it."

"Okay but please come back before dark."

"I will."

Lucy then left the house, desperate to find her beloved brooch.


	11. Chapter 11

All day Lucy searched for her mother's brooch but no matter how hard she searched it would seem that she would never find it. But eventually she did discover where it was but was crushed to discover that it was in pieces. Ruined, destroyed, un-fixable. She was completely heart broken. She returned to Erza's house before dark but she was trying so very hard not to cry.

"It'll be alright Lucy." Erza said in a comforting manner. 

"I know it's just some random piece of jewelry but it was my mother's. It's literally all I have left of her. Well that and an old portrait that my father keeps locked away in our attic but he hardly ever let's me see it."

"I really am so very sorry." 

"Please enough with the nauseating sensitivity." Natsu groaned.

"How can you be so cruel?" Lucy asked. 

"I don't mean to be cruel but we have a job to do remember?"

"I'm afraid that Natsu is right thought I wish he had said it in a more polite and respectable manner." Erza said glaring at him. "We have another mission tonight."

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"Apparently rumors have been flying around and saying that someone has been making human sacrifices in the name of the Catholic church."

"But the Catholic religion is against human sacrificing. All forms of Christianity are." Gray said.

"Yes but we might be dealing with a fanatic here." Erza pulled out a file and handed it to Natsu to read the article inside. "Our suspect is Father Redfox, a priest of Kardia Cathedral. Everyone has given their own views on him. Some say he's a saint others say he's a mad man who needs to be thrown in the nearest asylum. Either way the three of you will be investigating him." 

"Where do we find him?" Natsu said.

"Recently he's been visiting an abandoned monastery almost every night. That might be where he's conducting his sacrifices."

"Do we shoot on sight?"

"Negative. We have no proof that he is responsible for these sacrifices. Question him and ask him to return here for further interrogation. We don't want to harm a man of the church unless we know for sure that he's a serious threat."

"If you ask me all men of the church are a serious threat."

"That's your views not mine. Now get going."

The very moment it had become dark they got into the vehicle to drive down to where ever the abandoned monastery was. Gray had to be the one to drive because Natsu never did understand how to operate any type of transportation besides a horse and Lucy was still too upset about her brooch to focus on the driving part. She sat in the back while they sat in the front.

"I heard you didn't sleep well last night." Natsu said to Gray.

"It was just one of those nights Natsu." Gray said.

Natsu raised his eyebrow in a way that showed that he knew there was more to Gray's answer than what he said.

"So was she soft?" Natsu asked.

"Excuse me?" Gray asked.

"The nun. Her skin, was it soft when you touched it?"

Horror crossed Gray's features and before saying another word he checked to see if Lucy was paying any attention to their conversation. She wasn't but he still kept his voice down.

"What in hell are you talking about?" He whispered. 

"I know you went into her room." Natsu whispered back. "I heard you. Nothing gets passed my ears."

"It's not what you think."

"Oh spare me. You think after all the time we've spent together I don't know what's going on with you? They're coming back aren't they? The intense urges of lust and desire."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Oh please, the very minute I saw that nun girl's face I knew it would only be a matter of time before they come back. You better start talking to Erza about getting you a sedative."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can control it. I could control it back then and I can control it now."

"Is that right? Then perhaps you wouldn't mind if I talked about Miss Virgin Mary's innocent and delicate features?"

"Don't do this to me. Don't you dare do this to me."

"Is it getting warm down there already?"

"Shut up."

"I'm not doing this to torture you, I'm just trying to convince you not to do something you'll regret afterward."

"Like you don't have any urges."

"I never said I did. But unlike you I have...Let's call it medicine that helps me control those urges. You don't."

"Can we please talk about this later? We have a job to do."

"Fine."

"And you will tell no one about this."

"Why not? This is actually kind of funny when you think about it. A devil getting the hots for a nun."

"So help me if you breathe one word of this to anyone I will personally make sure that every meal cooked for you is spiked with garlic so you can never eat again and I know how much you love to eat!"

Natsu gulped. Despite no longer needing food to sustain himself, he enjoyed eating because the tastes gave him such a feeling of being renewed and refreshed, also he was a hopeless glutton. So that threat was enough to get him to comply with Gray's demands.

"Alright I won't say a word. But Erza at least has to know. Just so she can help you control it"

"Not happening. If I tell her about this she'll want to know why this particular woman...Gets to me and there's no way in hell I'm telling Erza about...Her."

"You know you really need to get over this."

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What are you two talking about?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing." They said.

"How much further til we reach the monastery?" Lucy said.

"Not much further." Gray said. "Another mile and we'll be there."

Meanwhile just a few hours after they left Juvia returned from her work at the church.

"Sorry for being gone so long Erza." She apologized to Erza once she arrived.

"That's alright Juvia. I know how much the children at the church adore you." Erza said with an understanding smile.

"Where is everyone?"

"I sent them on an investigation."

"On what?"

"There are rumors that a man is committing human sacrifices in the name of the Catholic church."

"Really? Well I don't think that's true. If it were everyone at Kardia Cathedral would be doing an investigation themselves."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. They don't tolerate such an awful practice or anything relating to that. A couple years back they threw out a reverend who wanted to cleanse a boy's soul with scourges and flange. A ghastly man he was."

"Good lord. What happened to the boy?"

"We got to him in time but the poor thing was scared to death. He had nightmares about the whole ordeal for weeks."

"What about the psycho reverend? Did you just let him go?"

"No we turned him over to the authorities. But he committed suicide. Though I can't say that I was surprised that he did that the man was completely insane."

"I guess Kardia Cathedral is not one of those church groups who look the other way."

"Not if there's genuine danger. So yes you can't count on them not to allow a person like those rumors are describing to dwell within our place of worship."

"Still it doesn't hurt to make extra sure that it's not just a rumor."

"I agree. Do you want me to go on after them?"

"They should be fine. They're just going to interrogate a suspect." Erza said pouring herself a cup of tea. "Would you like some Juvia?"

"Yes thank you." 

She poured her a cup.

"Trust me the three of them should be fine. Natsu and Gray have done plenty of interrogations like this before. I just hope they don't do that good cop, bad cop nonsense they find so amusing. Oh how I rue the day I showed them the television. They became obsessed with crime soap operas for years."

"They watch soap operas?"

"Crime soap operas. They claim that they watch it for the action and the violence but they're easily hooked on the romance plot line."

Juvia giggled a little.

"So who's the suspect?" Juvia asked before taking a sip of her tea.

"Father Redfox."

Juvia spat out her tea in shock.

"Him?! You sent Natsu a vampire and Gray a devil to interrogate him?!"

"Yes." Erza said surprised by Juvia's reaction.

"Are you mad?!"

"For heaven's sake calm yourself he's just a priest."

"He also happens to be the head of the church militia and the top exorcist in the entire town! He's killed more unholy paranormal beings than anyone else on this earth! And to top it all off he hates all creatures occult especially vampires and devils! In other words Natsu and Gray are cattle and you just sent them to the butcher!"

"He's a professional exorcist?!"

"And a military officer." Juvia added.

"But that wasn't in the file I had on him."

"Only a select few of people know about his secret profession."

"How is it that you know about this and I don't?"

"It's a complicated matter which I will gladly explain to you later but now we have to catch up with Lucy and the boys because trust me Father Redfox is not keen on showing mercy to non human beings."

"You're right. Let's go."

"Do you have another vehicle?"

"Yes I do."

"Alright now do you know where they're headed?"

"I told them to check the abandoned monastery because he had been visiting that place every night recently."

"Okay. Let me drive because I know where that place is."

"My God you look very scared."

"Well if you had seen what he does to devils and realized what he'll probably do to the boys you'd be scared too."

They quickly got into Erza's second vehicle and drove off in the direction that the others had gone in. 


	12. Chapter 12

It had become much darker by the time they arrived at the abandoned monastery or so it seemed. Stepping inside of places like these made Natsu feel very uncomfortable because it reminded him of the life he had before becoming a vampire. He grown up in a monastery raised by the head monk Vahan who had taken him in. Natsu was still just a boy when his father Igneel and mother Grandeeney were killed by the dreaded Emperor Mard Geer who then made the child a slave to him. When he was six years old, a rescue force led by Vahan killed Mard and freed him. With no where else to go Vahan decided to raise him alongside his other foster son Gray who he had raised since birth.

He wouldn't admit it but those were happy times. Just two carefree boys who spent their days playing and learning their lessons. Completely innocent with no selfish or wicked desire in their entire body. How quickly that was all shattered once the war started. That war and the torture he suffered after it destroyed all the goodness inside of him, leaving him to be a withered husk of anger and vengeance. Ever since then violence and blood shed seemed to be the only thing that made him feel truly alive.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked. She had noticed the distressed look on Natsu's face.

"I'm fine." He said. "I just don't like monasteries."

"Well I have to admit abandoned ones like these are pretty creepy."

"It kind of reminds me of home." Gray said. "Granted there weren't as many leaks, cracks, rats, and spider webs."

"I wonder why this place was abandoned to begin with." Lucy said.

"Maybe the building just got too old and drafty." Gray suggested.

"This Father Redfox guy must be crazy for coming here every night." Natsu said.

"Where have I heard that?" Gray wondered.

"Heard what?" Natsu asked.

"That name. Redfox. I swear I know that name but I just can't remember who it belongs to."

"Hold on do you know this guy?"

"I don't think so but his name keeps rattling around in my head."

"Where is he anyway?" Lucy asked. "I thought he was supposed to be here tonight."

"Maybe he's on to us." Natsu said.

"And how would he know that? We just found out about him today."

Natsu spotted a book. She bent over to pick up and tried to read it unfortunately all the words were written in ancient Latin.

"Can anyone here read Latin?"

"I can." A voice said. All eyes turned toward a man who stood at the end of the a hall. A large bulky man wearing grey cassock, grey pants, black boots, a black shirt, and a gold cross around his neck. His hair was as black as Gray's but wild and spikey like. He proceeded to walk toward them in a very slow like manner. "In fact that book belongs to me. Would you mind returning it?"

Once he was close enough, Natsu handed him the book back.

"Thank you. Now then what are you three doing here?"

"We're looking for Father Redfox." Natsu said. "We were told that he has been visiting this place every night recently. Are you him?"

"I am. What do you want me for?"

"We'd like for you to answer some questions for us. You'll have to come with us back to our organization."

"Is that right?" He stuck his book back into his pocket and then pulled something out of it. "I'm very sorry but I can't go with you."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't go anywhere with monsters."

He opened up his hand to reveal that what he had pulled out of his pocket was a small mirror which he held up to Natsu, revealing that he had no reflection. Then before any of them could even react he threw a blade right into Natsu's shoulder. He let out a piercing hiss and fell backwards on to the floor.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed in terror.

"Blessed blades." The priest said. "A perfect weapon to use when taking out unholy scum like you. You won't die yet because it didn't strike your heart. You know it still amazes me that your kind even has a heart."

"Natsu are you alright?" Lucy cried running to his side.

"Don't worry about me." He said. "That was just a scratch."

"It's been a while since I've had a good hunt." The priest said cracking his knuckles. "Taking out a vampire and a devil in the same night. I'm going to enjoy this."

"How...How do you know what we are?" Natsu asked.

"As a first class exorcist it's my job to know what's human and what's not the very moment it comes near."

"You're an exorcist?" Gray said.

"Indeed I am you bloody dog of Satan and neither you or that bat from hell will leave here alive."

His movements were so fast. He flung three more of those blades right into Gray. One hit his stomach, the other hit his leg, and the third him right in the chest but missed his heart. Like Natsu he fell to the floor but lost consciousness.

"That was almost too easy." He walked toward Gray's body and prepared to give the killing blow.

Acting fast Natsu stood up, grabbed the end of the blade, and pulled it out of his shoulder which caused him a lot of pain and a lot of blood to flow out of his system. Then he pulled out a pistol which he fired at Father Redfox's arm. He turned away from Gray and looked at Natsu.

"So you're still able to move. I'm impressed."

"You impress me too Father. With your bravery. Most exorcists wouldn't attack a vampire head on at night."

"And most vampires wouldn't dare set foot in a holy place."

"Lucy." Natsu said to the blonde.

"Yes?" She replied shaking.

"Get down and cover your head."

"What about him?" She said looking over at Gray.

"He'll be fine. You let me worry about him and focus on keeping yourself safe."

"Alright."

Lucy got down and ducked under a nearby table while covering her head with her hands.

"You need not worry about the woman." Father Redfox said. "I don't harm human bystanders even they have been corrupted by your kind."

"How considerate of you Father but I didn't tell her to do it because of you." He pulled out a second pistol. "I did it because there's no insurance of where my bullets will go."

He started shooting off left and right at the priest only for him to dodge each bullet and move to stab him with the blessed blades. They were both formidable fighters especially Father Redfox. He was equal to both Natsu and Gray in strength, speed, agility, and cunning. Neither one of them had ever met a human so advanced in fighting and skill. Natsu wondered if this man even was human. No he was human alright. Natsu could tell by the scent of the priest's blood that was dripping out of his wound but this human was unlike any that he had seen before.

The fight seemed like it was going on for hours. Lucy being their only spectator couldn't tell which one had the better chance at winning. Bullets and blades were flying all around the area. Each one missing it's intended target. But eventually, due to the large amount of blood loss Natsu started to slip up a little. One of the blades hit him the head and about six more got him in the back. The pain and loss of blood was becoming too much. He fell forward, unable to move and could only lie there.

"What a proud day this is for me." Father Redfox said feeling victorious. "I've taken down many devils and a few vampires but never both at the same time. I'm really going to savor cutting off your head and disintegrating his heart."

Lucy couldn't move. She felt that she should do something but was too afraid and too in shock to do anything. It was like in that moment she had become paralyzed. As the priest drew closer to Natsu's body she felt her heart beating so much faster. What could she do? What was she supposed to do? Why couldn't she move? Oh why was she so worthless? Why couldn't she ever make her body do what she wanted?

"Rest in pieces vampire!" But just as his blade was about to decapitate Natsu...

SLAP!

A hand had struck him right across his face causing him to cease cutting. That hand belonged to a very upset Juvia who had just appeared out of no where.

"Gajeel you drop that blade right now!" She said sternly. At once the blade immediately fell from his hands and to the floor.

"Juvia." He said starting to sweat. "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from making a very big mistake." She then looked over at Natsu and Gray. "Oh Good Lord what did you do to them?! Are they dead?!"

"Not yet."

"Remove those blades immediately!"

"What?! Are you crazy?! They're a vampire and a devil!"

"And they're also my friends."

"Come again?"

"They're my friends and I would appreciate it if you would not kill them and remove the blades from their bodies."

"You're friends with a dog and a bat of Lucifer?!"

"I wouldn't exactly refer to them as that but sort of. It's not what you think Gajeel and I'll explain everything but first can you undo all this. Please?"

"No way! These two are monsters!"

"Undo it NOW!" She demanded angrily.

Gajeel huffed in frustration.

"Fine."

Without another word he removed his blades from both Natsu and Gray. Natsu had passed out but Gray was starting to regain consciousness.

"Okay that really hurt." He groaned.

"Are you okay?" Juvia asked as she helped him to his feet.

"Juvia? When did you get here?"

"Erza brought me over."

"Am I dead?"

"No. Come on let's get you and Natsu back to the organization."

"Are we outside? Because I see stars."

He passed out again.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry Gray."

"Hold up what do you say his name was?" Gajeel asked.

"Gray. Gray Fullbuster."

He grabbed hold of Gray's unconscious head and examined his face. Staring at him as he was trying to figure out if he was someone he knew.

"You." He whispered upon recognizing him.

"Gajeel what's wrong?" Juvia asked.

"Nothing. Get him out of here."

"Will you help me? He's heavy."

"Alright." He huffed again. "Give me his legs."


	13. Chapter 13

Once Gajeel and Juvia had dragged Gray out of the monastery, Lucy found herself able to move again. She made her way toward Natsu who was pinned to the floor by all the blades Gajeel had stabbed him with. Her hand trembled as it moved toward him to check if he was still alive. Well as alive as an undead vampire can be. Her fingers were just centimeters from his face when he opened his blood red eyes and looked up at her. She flinched back a little due to being startled.

"So you are alive." She said.

"Not for long." He said weakly. "I've lost too much blood. I won't last much longer."

"Erza is here and she'll be able to help you."

"It'll take her hours to get the blood ready."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a process. The blood must be fresh and heated to body temperature before I drink it otherwise it's effects will do nothing. It's funny really...That I'm dying in a monastery. A house of God, considering that's the last place I ever saw myself in to begin with."

Lucy looked at him with eyes of pity. She didn't know why but she didn't want him to die which was strange considering that he was both a blood thirsty monster and a stranger to her but still she didn't want him to die.

"How much blood do you need?" She asked.

"A pint full should be enough." He said.

She swallowed hard then grabbed one of the blades that was in his back.

"Sorry, this might hurt." She said.

"What dare you- AHHH!" He howled in pain when she jerked that blade out of him. "What the hell? What are you doing?"

"You said that you needed fresh blood that was at body temperature right?"

"Yeah."

She rolled up part of her sleeve, took that blade, and slit her wrist with it. She seethed at the sensation of the throbbing in her arm and the warm red blood spilling out of it. 

"In that case drink up." He held her wrist toward him.

"Are you crazy?"

"Probably but I'm your only chance to live right now so drink."

"You're actually giving me your blood?" He said not sure that he heard correctly. "You're willingly letting me drink your blood?"

"Why else would I slit my wrist? Now hurry before I faint."

Without any further hesitation he took hold of her wrist and placed his mouth over her wound, then began to suck the blood from it. Lucy closed her eyes, she couldn't bear to see this. It felt so weird. She had expected him to rip through her like some wild animal but he was surprisingly gentle about it. He didn't even bite her. Finally his mouth released it's hold on her.

"How do you feel?" She asked him. 

"I'll live."

"Good."

She felt lightheaded. The shock and horror of witnessing all this combined with giving up a pint of her blood was too much for her. She fainted. Natsu having regained some his strength back, was able to catch her falling body and gently lay it on the floor. He then tore off part of his sleeve and binded her wrist with it to stop any further bleeding. He still couldn't believe that she had willingly given him her blood. Only one other person had done that for him and it was Erza. Blood being offered had a much different effect on him than blood being taken. For one thing it didn't make him feel as guilty about drinking it and another reason was it made him feel like there was someone out there who actually cared if he lived or died.

"Natsu!" Speaking of Erza, she had just walked in carrying a pint of fresh blood ready to be given to him. "Thank God you're still alive. I was so sure that your life would be forfeit by the time I arrived."

She looked over at Lucy's unconscious form.

"What happened to her?" 

"She just lost a pint of blood." Natsu said. 

Erza looked at him in terror. 

"Natsu you didn't." She said. 

"Relax I didn't have the strength to bite her. She cut herself and gave me her blood." 

"Really? She did it of her own free will? You didn't use any mind tricks to convince her?" 

"Come on Erza, you know me better than that." He chuckled. "As if I would resort to such a pathetic tactic." 

"So she just chose to give you her blood?" 

"As crazy as it sounds yes. Had she not you would have been too late. Apparently she didn't want me to die tonight." 

"Well in that case we owe her a debt of gratitude but we can get around to that later. Right now let's focus on fixing you and Gray." 

"What about that priest? What happened to him?" 

"He'll be coming with us for interrogation but Juvia is positive he's not the one we're looking for." 

"What makes her so sure?" 

"She knows him." 

"Big surprise." 

"Hold still and I'll pull these out." 

As she pulled out each blade out of his back it hurt like hell. But he just bared his fangs and endured it while drinking the pint of blood Erza had brought him. It did make him stronger but the taste and sensation of it was nothing compared to Lucy's. Her blood was better than any wine, water, or meat that he had ever tasted in his entire life. It burned in his throat, boiled in his stomach, and teased his inner desire. It was like drinking pure gold. He couldn't remember the last time he had drank blood that was even close to being that sensational. 

At long last Erza finished removing the blades and helped him walk back to vehicle which took them back to the organization to get the boys fixed up and to interrogate Gajeel. 

"I already told you I don't make human sacrifices." He said. "Such a heathenous act is against my religion." 

"Then what were you doing going to an abandoned monastery every night?" Erza asked.

"I was gathering nettles." 

"Nettles?" 

"Sharp plants that only grow on holy ground such as graveyards which are commonly found around churches and monasteries." 

"What do you need those plants for?" 

"Not me perse. Mother Mcgarden." 

"She teaches the members of the church how to make medicine and ointments using natural resources in case we get hurt or sick and there's no hospital nearby." Juvia answered. "He's been collecting them for her for years. You have to believe him." 

"Alright so maybe he's not sacrificing humans but you almost killed my agents." Erza said. 

"I'm an exorcist lady, it's my job to kill monsters." Gajeel retorted.

"They're not monsters and I won't allow anyone to refer to them as that." 

"They're a vampire and a devil! What else could you refer to them as?" 

"You don't even know them!" 

"What's there to know? One thrives on human blood and the other is an abomination of Satan. And trust me I know more about one of them than you realize!" 

"Enough please!" Juvia said. "Erza can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" 

They left the interrogation room to speak privately. 

"Erza you have to understand that while Gajeel acted rashly he thought he was up against two forces who were a threat to humanity. I'll see to it this doesn't happen again." Juvia explained. 

"And he'll actually listen to you?" Erza asked. 

"Yes. He will because if he doesn't I'll never speak to him again and he can't bear that." 

"Juvia how exactly do you know this man? Are you close?" 

"Closer than you think. To put it blankly he was my guardian up until I was eighteen." 

"Oh...Wait a minute you mean to tell me that you were raised by him?" She said pointing toward the gruff and aggressive looking man that was behind the screen. "I thought you were brought up by other nuns?" 

"Legal wise the sisters of the Kardia Order were charged with my care but it was him who fed me my bottle of milk, rocked me in my cradle, taught me how to walk, put a bandaid on all my boo-boos, taught me how to shoot my first gun, and trained me in exorcism from the very moment I turned twelve. The reason why he wasn't declared my guardian legal wise was because he was only eight when he started taking care of me." 

"Eight years old? That's very young." 

"He was very mature for his age...Most of the time. Look he won't be anymore trouble. Just let me talk to him." 

"Alright." 

"Thank you." 

She then went back into the interrogation room to speak with Gajeel. While that was going on she went to check on Lucy who had just woken up. 

"How are you feeling?" Erza asked her. 

"Still a little light headed but I'm feeling better." She answered. 

"That's a relief." 

"How's Natsu and Gray?" 

"Natsu was better again in no time at all. Gray has a few hurt areas but he'll be fine by tomorrow. He takes a little longer to heal than Natsu." 

"So they're going to be fine?" 

"Yes." 

"Thank goodness." 

"I still can't believe you just gave your blood to Natsu." 

"I..I had no choice. If I didn't he would have died." 

"And you cared about that?" 

"Yes. Don't you?" 

"Of course but I thought I was the only one. Glad to see that someone else cares about him." 

"Where is he now?" 

"Sleeping. It's almost morning but he went out and picked up something from a local store. Told me to give it to you." She handed Lucy a small box. "He didn't want me to tell you who it's from but I think it's stupid to keep gift givers anonymous. 

Lucy looked down at the box Erza had given her. What gift had Natsu picked up for her? She opened the box and unwrapped the paper inside to find a Victorian style brooch made from gold, embittered stones on the edge, and had a star engraved on the pendent. 

"I guess he felt sorry that you had lost your mother's brooch." Erza said. "He and I both know it won't replace the one you lost but he thought that maybe it would make the loss heal better." 

"He actually bought this for me?" 

"Natsu may not act like it all the time but his heart is as golden as that brooch." Erza then made her way toward the door. "Well I better leave you to rest. You've had a long night." 

With that said she left the room. 


	14. Chapter 14

When Gray came to again he found himself lying in the bureau's infirmary. His injuries had held up during his time of lying unconscious so he felt very relieved when he woke up. But his relief turned to fear when he saw the priest who had put him in his earlier state.

"You again! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Calm down dog breath. I came to apologize. Though I'm reluctant to do so."

"Then you can keep your apology. It's wasted if it's not sincere."

"Still don't like pretenses huh? Well I must admit I always agreed with you on that subject."

"What?"

"I can't believe you're still around. I was so sure that someone would have exorcised you by now. Guess I was wrong. Then again you always were...Well I wouldn't smart enough but quick enough to avoid extermination. But I bet you're still closed minded about your feelings. I bet you're still a huge pain in the ass too."

"Excuse me but I don't like total strangers talking about me like they know me."

The priest looked at him.

"So you don't remember me? Can't say I'm surprised. I always knew you were a big dummy."

"Big dummy?" The familiar insult triggered a memory in Gray's mind. The memory of an eight year old boy he knew centuries ago. It was back when he stumbled on to the Vatican and the boy was an orphan that had been taken in by the people of that church. A boy who he found to be very annoying and would always refer to him as big dummy. "I only know one person who called me that...Gajeel?"

"Yes it's me you moron."

"You mean you're the brat?!" Gray said taking in the appearance of the tall and muscular man who he remembered as once being a very puny child. "Wait a minute how are you still alive? I thought you were dead."

"Of course you'd want to know why I haven't died of old age."

"I didn't think you had died of old age. I always thought that you had finally annoyed someone enough to the point that they killed you."

"Tense aren't we?"

"Well I must say age has not been kind to you old man."

"Old man?! I'm twenty-nine!"

"Now I know that's a lie. You were born during the 1500's. You couldn't possibly be twenty-nine years old."

"But I am."

"How is that possible?"

"That's my little secret."

"Are you still human?"

"Yes."

Gray looked at him skeptically. He didn't sense any non human aura or scent coming off of him so he was telling the truth. But it didn't add up. No human was capable of being born in the 17th century and living well into the 20th century. At least not without a little supernatural help.

"What did you do? Did you sell your soul to Satan or something?"

"I'm priest and an exorcist. Do you really think anyone in my practice would associate with the likes of him."

"Ahem! Judge Baelor Trask?"

"Okay I see your point. But no I did no such thing. My soul is my own and no one else's."

"Then I'm puzzled. You can't seriously have lived this long with out help from supernatural forces."

"I never said I didn't have help from supernatural forces."

"Really? What forces?"

"I'm not allowed to tell."

"What do you mean you're not allowed to tell."

"I mean I'm not allowed to tell. How else am I supposed to put it you idiot?"

"Why can't you tell?"

"I just can't. Deal with it!"

Is everything alright in here?" Juvia had walked into the room. "Gajeel you're not bothering Gray are you?"

"No." He answered.

"Good. How are you feeling Gray?"

"Fine." He answered.

"I'm glad. Listen Erza wants to talk to you in about an hour."

"Alright tell her I'll be there."

Juvia gave them each a smile and left.

"So you and Juvia know each other?" Gray asked Gajeel.

"Yes. I found her as a baby when I was still a boy, brought her to the church, and raised her myself."

"You mean found her when you were still eight?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't make sense! She was born in this century! You weren't! There is no way she could've been a baby when you were still a kid!"

"It's a complicated I admit but it's the truth."

"This is making my head hurt." Gray said putting his hand to his forehead. "So if you pretty much raised her then you've noticed that she looks a lot like..."

"Madalena? Yes I noticed but she doesn't know about her or my history with you or that I'm from the 1500's and let's keep it that way. Comprende?"

"You mean you never told her what century you were born in?"

"If I did I'd have to explain so many things that must be kept a secret. I thought it would be easier if it was all hushed up. Besides you know how some churches feel about the supernatural. Some of them think if it's not related to God it's the work of the devil and I wasn't ready to go through all that trial crap. I already did that once."

"Oh God please don't remind me of that trial. It still haunts my nightmares."

"Sorry. I forgot you were there. Bottom line is don't tell her when I was really born or that we knew each other before all this. It'll just lead to trouble."

"Fine. By the way what the hell were you thinking trying to kill me earlier?! You know I'm no threat to humanity!"

"I didn't know it was you."

"How could you not? It's not like I've aged so much that you can't tell! I looked like exactly like this the last time you saw me!"

"It was dark okay?!"

"I think deep down you secretly knew it was me and you wanted me dead."

"Well it's no secret that I never liked you but seriously I had no idea who you were. All I knew was that you were a devil."

"Well I never liked you either you little brat! All you did was torment me the whole time I was at that Vatican. I'll never forget the time you soaked my pants in the communion wine!"

"That was only because you told the sisters that I was having impure thoughts and they bathed me for six hours."

"That was because you locked me in the the women's bathhouse! Everyone in the Vatican thought I was a pervert because of you!"

"I did that because you hung me from the top of the church and left me there."

"You were down in five minutes and it served you right for using the sacred ink to draw on my face while I was asleep! You were basically evil incarnate! You irritating little runt!"

"Who are you calling a little runt? I'm bigger than you now." Then it finally dawned on him. "That's right I'm bigger than you now." 

Gajeel cracked his knuckles and grinned at him mischievously. 

"Oh I've been waiting for this for a long time. Months of you constantly hitting me on the head and tossing me around. Finally vengeance will be mine!"

"I thought you preached against revenge. It goes against the Christian faith remember?" 

"Jesus was perfect I'm not." 

"Fine. I'm not scared of you! So you grew a couple of inches! I can still take you down in just one punch!" 

"You're mine now devil boy!"

"Bring it Father!" 

The two then lunged to attack each other only to be stopped by Juvia walking in and stepping between them. 

"Stop it!" She shouted. "Now I won't have you two trying to fight all the time! It's not right you know. Gajeel I understand you're dislike of Gray because he's a devil and all but he's partner and we're doing a service for mankind so stop trying to hurt him. And Gray I cannot blame you for being frustrated with Gajeel, he does have slight addiction to violence but he's a good man and I love him very much so just forgive and forget. Now both of you shake hands and make peace." 

Gray and Gajeel both glared at each other but they shook hands just as she requested. 

"That's better." Juvia said. "And stop trying to cut off the blood flow from each other by gripping the other's hand so hard." 

Their hands released each other. 

"Now that we have that settled. I think Gray and I should go see Erza now. Don't you think Gray?" 

"Yes." Gray said. 

"Good. Gajeel I'll see you later okay?" 

"Okay." Gajeel said. 

"Wonderful. Now let's get going." 

She took hold of Gray's hand and pulled along toward the door. Gray blushed a little at their hands touching. He couldn't remember the last time someone had held hands with him like this. 

They were halfway out the door when Gajeel grabbed Gray by the shoulder and whispered something to him. 

"I'm watching you devil. Don't try any funny business or I'll exorcise you so fast you won't have time to say your prayers." 

"Funny business? With her?" 

"I saw you blushing." 

"It's not what you think. I mean I would never-" 

"Gajeel leave him alone." Juvia said noticing that they were not moving and without another word she pulled Gray out the door to the room. 


	15. Chapter 15

What Erza wanted to talk to Gray about along with Natsu, Lucy, and Juvia was a new case that she had been called about. 

"There have been mysterious attacks at the local casino and rumors say that it's the work of nosferatu." Erza said reading the file. "I need the four of you to investigate." 

"What's the plan boss lady?" Gray asked. 

"Gray, you and Juvia will cover the outside area. Natsu, you and Lucy will infiltrate it from the inside. If these attacks are indeed the cause of vampires then try to exterminate them without causing any damage." 

"We can't make any promises." Natsu said. "But we'll try not to." 

"Fair enough. Now then I have the car already waiting. Lucy keep your bracelet on your wrist at all times. Don't take it off once. Understand?" 

"Yes." The blonde said. 

"Natsu, Gray, make sure nothing happens to Lucy or Juvia." 

"Yes ma'am." They both said. 

Upon arriving at the casino Gray and Juvia immediately started scouting the outside area of the whole place. While on the inside Natsu and Lucy were checking for any suspicious looking guests. 

"I don't see anyone who looks like a vampire." Lucy said. 

"That's the idea Lucy." Natsu said. "Vampires and devils are probably the hardest creatures you can catch because they can make themselves look perfectly human and by the time you figure out what they really are it's usually too late. You're only chance of survival is to look for their quirks." 

"Quirks?" 

"You know things that only a vampire or devil would do or be like. For example in a vampire's case, you have to notice if someone is only seen at night? Do they avoid going near anything that casts a reflection? Do they get all intense and hungry like whenever someone cuts their self and starts bleeding? Do they never eat Italian food? Stuff like that." 

"Those aren't exactly- Wait never eat Italian food?"

"You know how the Italians like their garlic. They put it on everything they make. It's like their favorite spice."

"Huh...As I was saying those aren't exactly obvious quirks."

"You think I don't know that? I've been doing this job for eleven years."

"Does it ever get easier?"

"No. Especially when you have someone like Erza for a boss. She's been hard on us ever since she was a kid. You'd never think that a little girl could be so domineering."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing it's just that...Well I find it very interesting."

"What's interesting?"

"You and Gray are supposed to be older than Erza but you both look so much younger than she is. How old are you two anyway?"

"We're both 496 years old."

Lucy's eyes went wide.

"Dear God you two are old! But you...Neither one of you look it."

"What can I say? Being a supernatural species does wonders for the skin. Once Gray and I both went from human to vampire and devil we stopped aging physically."

"How old were you two when it happened?"

"We were both in our early twenties."

"So that means the two of you will be physically twenty something forever?" 

"Pretty much. But believe me it's not a consolation for what we are." He said. "It would be blessing if we could age like we used to."

"So if you don't age physically anymore does that mean neither one of you can die?"

"Not of old age or anything that can typically end a human's life but we can be killed. Anything that walks on this earth can be killed. Gray and I are no exception however he's harder to kill than I am."

"Why is he harder to kill?"

"For one thing only a select few of people know how to really kill a devil. With vampires you always know how to kill us. Stake through the heart, decapitation and burning of the body, holy water spray, garlic poisoning, ect. But devils they each have their own way of being destroyed and even if you manage to get rid of one there's still more out there. They're like weeds."

"Weeds?"

"Yep. Cut one up and another just grows back."

"I don't follow."

"Devils have existed long before vampires have. In fact they were the first truly evil beings to ever roam the earth and they're responsible for almost all the evil in the world. Trying to destroy them all is like trying to destroy evil itself. Damn impossible. But we still keep trying to do it." 

"But Gray's not evil...Is he?"

"No. A pain in the ass and a traitor but not evil."

"Traitor? Oh...Erza told me what he did to you in regards to my grandfather. Why did he to do it?"

"I don't know for sure. But apparently in his mind I betrayed him first."

"Did you?"

"Of course not! I'm nothing if not loyal!"

"Is it possible that you might have betrayed him without even knowing it?"

"That doesn't make any sense. How do you betray someone without even knowing you're doing it?"

"Believe it or not that happens very often. In cases like that it's usually a big misunderstanding."

"Look I really don't want to talk about this right. We have a job to do and if we fail Erza will never let me hear the end of it. Now start looking for anything strange."

"Like you?"

"Ha-ha. Very funny."

They looked around the area for anyone who seemed to be acting out of the ordinary. Everyone at the casino appeared to be perfectly normal but Natsu knew all too well that wasn't the case. Deep in his gut he knew that a vampire was present here, he just wasn't looking hard enough. Lucy looked hard and at first she saw nothing strange but after awhile she spotted an ominous looking man heading down a hallway.

"Hey Natsu what about him?" She asked pointing to the man. "Do you think he might be what we're looking for?"

"Maybe..." He said thinking for a moment. "Let's follow him but keep quiet and out of sight."

They did exactly that. They followed the ominous looking man but were perfectly quiet and kept out of sight. He went outside on to a balcony which had only one door but when they got out there he was gone.

"Where did he go?" Lucy wondered. 

"Isn't it obvious?" Natsu asked.

"No." She moved over to the edge of the balcony where he stood. 

"And you're supposed to be a vampire hunter?" He said rolling his eyes. "News flash Lucy vampires can- Dah!"

At the moment she was bending over the edge to see if the man was on the ground at the moment, unaware that she was giving Natsu an up close view of her shapely legs and her behind. Now Natsu may have been a vampire but he was also still a man and like most men he couldn't help but stare at certain parts of an attractive woman especially when it was this close and when it had been so long since he had touched a woman in that way. He desperately tried to get his thoughts to focus on the mission again but it was very difficult to do. 

"I'm sorry, what were you saying Natsu?" Lucy asked turning her head to face him however he didn't answer. He just stood there staring with blush on his cheeks. Lucy never thought that a vampire could blush. "What? What are you looking at?"

But in no time at all she realized the source of his gaze.

"Oh! You pervert!" She said standing upright while blushing as well.

"It's not my fault! It was an accident! I swear!" He said trying to shake his thoughts. 

"But you kept staring!"

"My brain went numb! We're getting off subject! Anyway to answer your question about where that man went he like all vampires have to ability to change into a bat and fly off."

"Oh right. I forgot about that. That means you can change into a bat too?"

"Uh...Yes." Natsu said rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "But believe me you wouldn't like me as a bat?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say I'm a really scary when I'm a bat."

"What's so scary about a bat? They're just mice with wings."

"I'm no ordinary vampire Lucy therefore I don't change into an ordinary bat."

"I don't understand."

"It's hard to explain and I really don't have the time to do it with you right now. We have to move." He grabbed Lucy by the arm and pulled her to his side.

"Natsu what are you doing?" She asked.

"Hold on tight."

"Why?"

"We're going to have to jump."

"Jump?!" She cried. "Are you aware that this is a three foot building right?"

"Calm down. I've done this a hundred times."

"Can't we just take the stairs?"

"No good. By the time we get downstairs and through that crowd a gamblers the creep we're looking for will be long gone. Now whatever you do don't let go of me until we're on the ground."

"Wait! I really don't think-" 

But she was cut off when he jumped from the balcony, taking Lucy with him. She screamed and clung to him tightly, scared that this crazy vampire was going to kill them both but to her relief they both landed on their feet.

"There." He said releasing her. "Now that wasn't so bad was it?"

"You're crazy!" She said trying to stop herself from shaking. "How does Erza deal with you everyday?"

"Simple. She's just as crazy as I am. I mean think about it she unleashed a vampire and a devil when she was just a child. If that doesn't raise some red flags I don't know what will. Now let's move!"


	16. Chapter 16

Outside Gray and Juvia were searching every corner of the outer area. They weren't having much luck in finding a vampire or anything relating to one.

"Nothing." Gray said. "Been out here for two hours and we have found nothing."

"Well how can anyone expect to find anything out here this late? It's so dark." Juvia said.

"Vampires only strike at night so it's best to look for them at night."

He heard her cock her gun and watched her unload the bullets. She pulled a knife from her garter and used it to do something to the bullets before loading them back up.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Something that ensures my bullets will harm vampires if we encounter them. All my bullets are made from sacred stones that can breakthrough a devil's skin and bone but I'm not sure what kind of an effect it will have on vampires so I'm carving a cross on each of my bullets."

"You really think that will work?"

"Crosses repel vampires right?"

"Have you ever fought a vampire before?"

"No but I'm very educated on them. Gajeel made sure that I knew everything there was to know about all unholy creatures."

"How much do you know?"

"Let's see I know they can't survive in day light, they can be harmed by holy water, garlic, or a cross."

"So you know the basics. Doesn't mean you have any idea what you're up against."

"You don't think I can do this do you?"

"Honestly...No. No offense but I find it hard to believe that a nun is capable of doing anything violent."

"Anyone is capable of doing anything if they have the will do it."

"Oh boy here we go."

"What?"

"You're gonna pull that whole independent woman crap on me and tell me how just because you're a woman doesn't mean you can't be a badass and blah, blah, I don't know how many times I've heard this."

"I'm not a badass and honestly I don't want to be one. I'd be perfectly happy living a life where I can just peacefully worship God, show kindness to others, and perform missionary duties. But unfortunately at the moment we're at war so I have to be prepared and I am."

"But you've never fought a vampire before. How can you be prepared?"

"Okay so I'm not entirely prepared but I'm close."

"You know vampires can be really manipulative. They have a way of getting inside your head and messing with your emotions. They're also notorious for seducing their victims."

"Yeah but did you know that victims can resist their...Um...Hypnotic seduction if they love someone and they're confident."

"What does that mean?"

"It means if you love someone and you know in your heart that could never love anyone else but that one person then you can resist vampire's lure. You don't really feel the need to find...Lust? Pleasure? In that creature because you know that you could never love anybody else."

"Where did you learn that?"

"Mother Mcgarden taught it to me. And she's right. There was this one case where a vampire tried to seduce a married woman but she was happily married so his charms had no effect on her."

"So married people aren't effected?"

"Happily married people." Juvia corrected. "Vampires typically prey on people who are lonely, had their heartbroken, or are completely unsure of their feelings toward a significant other."

"That's an interesting fact I didn't know about."

"Love is a very powerful force Gray. One that overcome time, space, even death in some cases. It's the one thing that evil can't give you. Evil can offer you many things but they can't offer you real love."

"So you believe that phrase 'Love Conquers All' huh?"

"Yes. When it's true love I do believe that it can do anything."

"It can't raise the dead." He said. "And it can't make you get passed certain things."

"You know you're awfully cynical. Have you ever considered having a more positive outlook on life."

"I'm a devil, how can I have a positive outlook on life?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try to have one."

"Just keep quiet and keep searching. Try looking over there where that motel is and if you see anything just holler."

"Gotcha."

She started to look around the motel while Gray checked around the back. All was quiet where he was. Too quiet which usually meant that something wasn't right. He carefully looked and listened for anything that wasn't human. Eventually he found a trail of blood. Bingo! He pulled out his blade which was made out of pure, undiluted silver. According to many legends and myths pure silver was excellent defense against vampires and devils alike and that was only half true. Regular silver had no effect but a certain brand of silver did. The kind that Gray's blade was made of had been black smithed and materialized by holy men and blessed by sacred scriptures and incantations.

As Gray drew closer to the source of the blood trail he gripped the blade and prepared to make his attack. But to his surprise there was nothing there. No body, no vampire, nothing but a puddle of blood. He was just about to turn back when he was struck by a force. Said force then pinned him down with a level strength no human could have. Looking up Gray realized that he had been attacked by a vampire and as fate would have it, it was another pure blood and Juvia wasn't nearby.

"What luck." He said in his terrible voice. "I was expecting to find Miss Scarlet's human mooks sniffing around here not her lap dog. Tell me is her pet bat here too?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because while human blood is satisfying the blood of a devil and a vampire will increase my power."

"You'd drain your own kind? You pure bloods can't really sink any lower can you?"

"Survival of the fittest as they say."

"Yeah expect for the fact that you're not really alive."

"And you're not really human which raises the question why you defend them? It's not like protecting humans will make you a real human being and give you a cleansed soul. You were condemned the moment you were born into the world."

His grip was so strong. Gray could normally fight against it in his real form but he was under the seal which meant his abilities were limited to that of a regular human. He tried to reach for his fallen blade but he couldn't move his arms or his legs. Without that blade or the powers he had in his real form this psycho wasn't going to kill him.

"Any last words before you take your rightful place in hell?!"

Even if he had any words to speak at the moment he couldn't because the vampire was practically choking him. He couldn't breathe let alone talk. Then...

Bang! A shot rang out and the vampire's screech of agony was heard. The source of his pain was a bullet with a cross carved on it which had been shot into his shoulder by Juvia. She stood across from them, positioned to shoot again.

"You filthy human! How dare you-"

But she just fired another bullet. She fired another and another and another until the vampire's grip on Gray loosened enough for him to grab his blade and plunged it into his heart from behind. He then dropped to the ground dead.

"Are you alright?" Juvia asked him.

"I'm fine." He coughed a little before standing up. "Nice aim."

"Thank you. I told you I was prepared."

"Alright. Go on gloat, tell me how wrong I was like Erza and Natsu always do."

"Oh I don't like to gloat. I think that counts as being vain and vanity is one of the seven deadly sins."

"Oh...Well thank you for that because I'm really not in the mood for it right now."

"You're welcome."


	17. Chapter 17

Natsu and Lucy chased down the figure they were pursuing. It took awhile for Natsu to catch his scent but he was able to find it eventually. They had him cornered. 

"Have your bracelet ready Lucy." Natsu whispered to her. 

When the figure realized he was trapped he stopped and turned to face them. But instead of looking scared, nervous, or anxious he looked very smug and proud. Like he had masterminded this incredible plan and all the pieces of said plan had fallen into place perfectly. 

"Well, well this is an interesting sight." He chuckled. "One of the greatest vampires of all time working alongside the direct descendant of his greatest rival."

"Yes fate can be very ironic can't it?" Natsu said. "But nevertheless we are working together and we now have you trapped which means you're officially screwed."

But the figure just started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh Natsu you're very powerful but also so very predictable. It is not you two who has trapped me but I who has trapped you two."

At once the two of them suddenly became aware of the huge hoard of red eyes looking down at them from the shadows. There were surrounded by vampires. So many vampires and worst of all they were pure blood vampires. Lucy could hear their intense panting as they lusted for blood and she could almost feel their breaths on her neck.

"Alright my comrades you know what to do." The figure said. "Take him but do too much damage. Remember what our queen said, she wants him alive. Well...So to speak."

"What about the woman?" One of the other vampires asked.

"A free drink for someone. First come first serve."

Lucy almost became petrified with fear when she heard that. She thought about running but before she could make a decision, Natsu grabbed her by the arm and pulled her behind him.

"Don't even think about touching her!" He snarled at them.

Next thing Lucy knew the vampires were dropping down and lunging toward them. She quickly moved her fingers over her bracelet and a huge flash of solar light was shot from it. The vampires who were caught in the flash screeched as they were instantly reduced to ash. 

"Whoa." She said in amazement. "Did I do that?"

"Yes and whatever you do don't stop!" Natsu said before grabbing one of the oncoming vampires by it's neck and twisting it off. "Is that the best you lower class parasites can do?! Come on! Take your best shot!"

And they did but each time they came close they would either be burned to death by Lucy's bracelet or have their heads removed by Natsu. A couple of times the horror would cause Lucy to go a stiff for a moment but Natsu would quickly snap her back to reality. Reminding her that if she froze she could become dinner. It was a total war zone, ash and severed heads on the ground followed by bodies collapsing in blood. Those other vampires were fools to underestimate Natsu. He wasn't just some ordinary mortal turned vampire, He was one of the first that there ever was. Older than each and every one of them and experienced in power and fighting that none of them could even imagine. Capturing him seemed like an impossibility.

Eventually those who were still uneliminated decided to retreat while they still could but Natsu managed to capture one who was fleeing for interrogation purposes. He knocked him out a special drug Erza made to dull a vampire's senses and chained both his wrists and ankles in shackles made from that very special brand of silver that can harm vampires. Once that was done he set all the bodies of the dead vampires on fire and the three of them left to meet up with Gray and Juvia.

"I smell smoke." Gray said when they met up. "Does that mean you took care of the pest problem here?"

"Yep." Natsu asked. 

"Who's that?" Juvia asked pointing to the unconscious vampire Natsu held over his shoulder.

"An informant. Something tells me that there's more to these vampire attacks than just simple feedings. So I think it's time we had a chat with someone on the inside."

"And what makes you think he'll talk?" Gray asked.

"He'll talk or we'll fry him like an egg. Right Lucy?"

"I guess." The blonde said.

They hauled him into the back of their van and drove back to the organization where they reported to Erza everything that had happened. Once he woke up they put him in the interrogation room. Of course he tried to escape but it was no use with those shackles on him.

"Struggle all you wish you're not getting out of here." Erza told him.

"What do you people want from me?" He asked once he accepted that there was no escape.

"The leader of that group you were in said that you were trying to capture one of my agents alive. Why is that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Oh you don't do you? Gray."

"Yes."

"Right." He said with a mischievous grin.

"Chain me up all you want! Your shackles won't break me!" Their prisoner said defiantly.

"Oh but this is no ordinary chain. Unlike the ones holding you it's not made from metal or used for binding."

"Then what the hell kind of chain is- Oh no! No! Not that! Anything but that!"

In Gray's hands he held a garlic chain.

"Fresh from the market." Gray said with his grin widening.

"Get that demonic vegetable away from me!" He cried fearfully.

"Of course." Erza said. "After you tell us what you know."

"Never!"

"Suit yourself. Gray."

She handed him the chain and moved to pin him on to the interrogation table. Then Erza plucked a piece of garlic from the chain and held it under the prisoner's nose. Just inhaling it's odor made him feel like acids was scorching his insides.

"No! Please! Have mercy!"

"Now let's see how many cloves this one has shall we?" One by one plucked the cloves off while making sure he breathed in each and everyone. "One...Two...Three...Four..."

"Stop! It burns!"

"Ready to talk now?"

"No!"

"Five...Six...Seven...Eight."

"You call yourself human?!"

"Nine...Ten."

"I can't breathe! I don't know how much more I can take!"

"Eleven...Twelve...Oh looks like we're all out of cloves."

"Phew!" He breathed in relief.

"Now let's count the others."

"No!" He shouted in horror. "Alright! Alright! I'll talk! I'll talk! Just stop!"

"Very well."

She dropped the chain and Gray allowed him to sit up. 

"Okay but you gotta swear you won't tell anyone you heard this from me. If she finds out I squealed she'll throw me in the sun!"

"Who?"

"Her name is Regine. She's our queen and our creator. Not exactly our mother but she did give us life. Anyway she's ordered us to start attacking like this so it will draw out that pink haired vampire."

"My hair's not pink it's salmon!" Natsu shouted from behind the glass where he and the girls were watching.

"She wants to capture him."

"Why?" Erza said. 

"I don't know."

"Have it your way. Gray."

"No! No! I swear I don't know! She created me just recently so I don't know all her plans or what exactly she has in mind but I do know this. She's sending out another attack at the local train station."

"When?"

"A week from now. At night fall."

"You wouldn't lie to us would you?"

"No! I'm not! I promise! Cross mt heart and hope to be staked!"

"Anything else?"

"That's all I know! Now please don't make me smell that garlic again! Please!"

"Relax we're done with you."

"So you're gonna let me go now right?"

"So you can continue to feed on innocent human beings? I don't think so."

"Then what are you going to do with me?"

"Well to be honest I think the best thing would be to stab you in the heart with a wooden stake or cut off your head and then burn your body but you did tells us what we needed to hear so killing you would you make me dishonorable."

"So you're gonna let me live?"

"Yes although let you live freely, that's a different story."

"What do you mean?"

"Gray tell my men to have a cell prepared for our prisoner."

"Gotcha." Gray said.

"You're locking me up?!"

"Nothing personal. Just protecting mankind from having their blood forcibly drained out of their bodies." Erza said.


	18. Chapter 18

After getting all the information they could get out of their prisoner, Erza set to work on finding out everything there was on this Regine. The organization had an enormous library with the books that contained information on nearly every supernatural creature in existence. There were very few paranormal creatures who's records weren't in this library. Those few included Natsu, Gray, and apparently Regine. Erza was in there for hours and she read every book on vampires and vampire victims that was in there but the name Regine didn't come up in a single one of them. But that didn't stop her from looking.

"Erza it's midnight." Natsu said when he decided to check up on her. "Why don't you take a break and go to bed? You look exhausted."

"Not until find something on this Regine."

"Maybe none of the books have any information about her."

"That's not good Natsu. If she's at the bottom of all this and we don't have any way of knowing about her how are we to defeat her?"

"Maybe there is some information about her somewhere but we just don't know that it's about her."

"I don't follow."

"Well you know how when I first came to Magnolia I um..." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Did a little a terrorizing?"

"Yes. In fact that was the whole reason Archibald Heartfilia staked you in the first place."

"Right well there was no record of me or my life however shortly after waking up I found out some guy found out about that event and wrote a novel about it. A novel which was poorly adapted and very exaggerated." He said before huffing. "I didn't forcibly turn women into my vampire concubines and then feed an infant to them. I'm monsterous but I am have some morality."

"What a minute you mean that novel about the solicitor who travels to a castle which unknown to him was owned by a vampire who left him there to be tortured by his concubines and then left to feed on his wife and wife's best friend? That was about you?"

"Yes but a lot of the stuff in the novel didn't actually happen."

"So you never had concubines?"

"No."

"You never trapped a man in your castle and left him to be tortured?"

"No."

"You didn't kill a mother and her baby?"

"Hell no! That I found really offensive and insulting."

"And you didn't try to turn a man's wife and her best friend into vampires?"

"Uh...Well..." He said looking very anxious and guilty. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean not exactly? Is some of that accurate?"

"A little. I mean I didn't harm the wife's best friend. Scared her to the point of insanity maybe but that was an accident."

"And the wife?"

Natsu became quiet for what seemed like forever. He really didn't want to tell her about this. True Erza knew how Natsu had been defeated by Archibald but she didn't know the events that led to Archibald finding out about him in the first place.

"Before I answer I want you to remember that I was a different man back then okay? I did terrible things and I regret them deeply. Also remember that because we're under contract I can't hurt so there's no need to exterminate me when you hear this."

"What did you do?"

He checked to make sure no one else was listening and he told her the whole story. At first she was horrified but upon seeing the extreme guilt and self loathing he held in his eyes as spoke of it she realized that he was truly remorseful for what he did and to this day it still haunted him.

"That was when I finally realized how far I had fallen." He told her. "That's when I realized how much damage I had caused since my transformation. That's when I realized that I had made a mistake when I turned myself into this."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"Only Gray. Everyone else who knows is long dead except for maybe the author who wrote that novel."

"Natsu I can't believe you would do something like that."

"I'm sorry that I did it. And not a day goes by when I don't regret it and maybe I should have told you about this but I was afraid to. I was afraid that once you found out you'd hate me."

"What happened to her...Did you mean for it to happen?"

"No! I swear I didn't! Everything just went black and when I woke up I couldn't remember and when they told me what happened I...I just wanted to die."

He looked like he was about to cry but he couldn't shed tears because he had no soul. He had given up his soul along with his humanity long ago. Erza was greatly stunned by this revelation but it didn't change her feelings toward him. She still considered him a loyal ally and friend. So she would not let him see her horror or distaste for his actions. It would only add to the heavy load he had to carry. 

"It is the past." She said. "You are a different man and even if you weren't our contract prevents you from harming anyone human without my say so."

"So you're not going to have me staked again?"

"There's no reason to. You're no threat to humanity and I still need you so no. I have no intention of driving a wooden stake through your heart."

"Then I can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Don't tell anyone about this. Please. I don't anyone to remind me of it."

"Very well. Now back to business what does some historically inaccurate novel about you have to do with our search?"

"The guy who wrote the novel had to somehow know about me but there are no known written records so maybe there were some private records about me that he found which lead to him writing that novel."

"I'm still not seeing the point."

"He wrote two novels about vampires. One male, that's me and one female. At first I thought she might have been a made up character but maybe she was based on whoever this Regine is like how I was based on one of his characters. If so then maybe he has some records on her. You know information."

"Hmm...You could be right." Erza said. "This author, do you know if he lives in Magnolia?"

"Yeah. I think he lives somewhere on the other side of town."

"Tomorrow morning I think I'll pay him a visit and try to find out where he got his inspiration for these novels."

"Good idea. But for now I think you should probably go to bed."

"Okay but if I don't find anything tomorrow it's back to the library."

Erza was up first thing in the morning and she managed to get the address for the novelist very easily. Lucy wanted to come along because she had read the author's work and was a big fan although luckily she never deduced that his first novel was about Natsu. When they arrived at his doorstep, Erza gave a polite knock. The door was soon answered by a middle aged man.

"Can I help you ladies?"

"Are you Edmund Stokes?" Erza asked him.

"Yes."

"I am Erza Scarlet, an agent of secret government organization." She said holding up a badge. 

"Have I done something wrong?"

"No sir but I would like to ask you some questions about your novels and it is imperative that you answer each question truthfully."

"Alright. Please come in."

He led them into the foyer of his house and they were seated on two chairs and sofa that had a small table in the center.

"Would you like me to ask Alice to bring you ladies some tea?" He asked.

"Thank you sir. That would be nice."

"Alice." He called gently. "We have guests. Put the kettle on."

"Yes Father."

"My daughter Mary is visiting me while her husband is over seas. She wants to become a novelist like myself so she's decided to ask for my input on some of her ideas."

"That's what I'd like to ask you about Mr. Stokes." Erza said. 

"My daughter's work?"

"No sir. Your ideas."

"I don't understand."

"I've read your novels Mr. Stokes."

"So I have I." Lucy said. "And I loved them both."

"Thank you." He said to the blonde.

"But what I want to know Mr. Stokes is where did you get the inspiration for your stories?" Erza said.

"Well you know the myths and legends of vampires have been around for centuries. I'm sure they've inspired hundreds of writers."

"Yes but there's something about certain events that took place in your novels that I have a feeling you couldn't have just thought of off the top of your head."

His daughter brought a tray of tea into the room and sat it on the table. Erza, Lucy, and Mr. Stokes both fixed themselves a cup to drink. After each of them had taken a sip they resumed their chat.

"Miss Scarlet are you implying something?" He asked her.

"You're not in any trouble Mr. Stokes but my organization is facing a very dangerous threat and whatever inspired you to write those novels may prove useful to us. Please sir, tell me was there anything else that inspired your work?"

He took another sip of his tea and then he left the room. He came back with a book in his hand that had a worn leather cover. 

"This was the main basis for my work." He said. "I found it years ago. I saw a man bury it. I didn't know what it was and I feared it was a bomb or something. I called the authorities and we dug it up. It was an old diary. A diary filled with the strangest entries. They were events about vampires and how they were slain. They seemed so interesting that I decided to turn some of the entries into novels. Of course I did change a lot of the events to make it more scary and exciting.

"Do you know who the diary belonged to?" Erza asked.

"An Archibald Heartfilia." 

"That's my grandfather." Lucy said.

"Really?" He said. "I apologize Miss. I did try to return the diary to the owner but I later learned that he was dead and I asked if he had any living relatives but there were none to be found in Magnolia."

"If you don't mind sir." Lucy said. "Could I please have it? I never knew my grandfather and this may be the only way I can learn about him."

"Not to mention some of the records in this may help my organization." Erza said.

"Well considering I did publish some of his writing without his permission the least I could do is return it to his family." He handed it to Lucy. "I am so very sorry. I didn't think anyone would mind and I was living in poverty back then with a pregnant wife. I needed a fast money maker. Please don't tell anyone about this. I could be arrested for fraud and plagiarism."

"I'm sure my grandfather wouldn't mind." Lucy said.

"Thank you for your help Mr. Stokes." Erza said. 

They thanked him and his daughter for the tea and then left.


	19. Chapter 19

Lucy looked down at the book in her hand. She couldn't believe it, Her grandfather's diary. This would be the closest thing she would ever have to learning anything about him. During the trip back to the organization she couldn't resist opening up and reading a few pages. She decided to start with the marked ones first. 

_March 3rd 1873_

_My life has always been one of horror and misery. Of tragedy and of loss. Being a vampire hunter is an occupation that fills your life with loneliness and darkness. But at long last I believe I have finally found my light._

_Her name is Lucille, I met her when I was called to stop a vampire infestation in a foreign village and she is by far the loveliest woman on this earth. But not only lovely but strong, spirited, kind, and loyal. She defends her village from vampires who plague it and when I arrived to asked to work alongside me during my mission. For months we studied together, fought together, saved the village together, and then something amazing happened. Something I never thought would occur. We fell in love._

_She has no family so asked her if she would be willing to return with me to Magnolia and be my partner. To my surprise she agreed. I swear she will want for nothing as long as she is with me._

Lucy flipped to another marked page.

_June 15th 1874_

_I words cannot describe the joy I am feeling. My beloved Lucille has just agreed to marry me. I was sure she would refuse, after all what do I have to offer her aside from all the love in my heart? And what I find even more surprising is that she wants us to be married tomorrow. We don't really need a big wedding. We have no living relatives so all we need is a church, two rings, and a priest. I swear to God above I will cherish her til my last breath._

She flipped to another marked page.

_November 1875_

_I thought the happiest I would ever be was when Lucille agreed to marry me. I was wrong. Because after finishing my most difficult mission yet I returned home to discover that my dear Lucille is carrying a child. I am to be a father. In all the years I had been alive I never once thought I would know joys of having a wife and child but it seems that I have won God's favor. I shall be eternal grateful to him for the two precious gifts he has given me._

The one marked page was a little in the back and that peeked her curiosity.

_July 1st 1915_

"My Birthday." Lucy realized.

_Things have not been very easy for me these passed few years. First my son distances himself from me and then my wife is called back to heaven. I have grown so much older and my health is failing. I can no longer perform my service for mankind, I have tried to find a replacement but it is to no avail. My son no longer speaks to me but his wife, my sweet daughter in-law Layla was kind enough to invite me to witness the birth of my grandchild._

_It's a girl and she's the loveliest girl on earth. Layla has decided to name her Lucille after my wife and call her Lucy for short. Though touched by the gesture I couldn't help but ask if she was sure she wanted to give her that name. Because all though the child is lovely like my wife, she has inherited no physical traits from her. But Layla is sure that Lucy will have Lucille's personality. I would like that but I'll be happy with any personality she develops._

_However I fear that I may not live long enough to see my granddaughter grow up. I wanted to give her a special bracelet that belonged to her grandmother which would not only prove useful to her in the future but it be something for her to remember me by but my son rejected it and I was forced to give it to a friend of mine for safe keeping._

_I do love my son dearly but he's so ashamed of me. I wish I knew what I did to make him feel this way because more than anything I want to make peace with him before I go. If he cannot allow that I hope he will allow me to at least spend a little time with my granddaughter. I love her so much. I loved her from the moment I saw her just has I loved her father the moment I saw him._

Lucy had tears in her eyes by the time she had finished reading that chapter. Judging from what she read, her grandfather was beautiful man. So full of love and appreciation for it. Oh why did he have to die so soon? Or more importantly why was it that no one ever told her about him? Or told her that he actually got to meet her? She had always assumed he had died before she was born but apparently not. And why did her father distance himself from him? Why were there so many secrets?

"Are you alright?" Erza asked upon seeing the tears in the blonde's eyes.

"Yes." Lucy said wiping them away. "I just...I just never knew how much my grandfather loved me."

"Oh no you haven't been reading the diary have you?"

"A little. I've only read some of the marked pages."

"Have you read anything about vampires?"

"No. Everything I've read was just about my grandfather and his family."

"Well don't read anymore. I spoke with Makarov, he and Archibald knew each other back in the day and he says Archibald kept all of his vampire hunting records in that diary and a lot of what he's written is very disturbing and frightening. Stuff that could give you nightmares."

"Really? Why would he keep that in his diary?"

"According to Makarov it was to remind him of the horrors that could take place should he choose to stop slaying vampires. Makarov said he was very stubborn and determined not to quit until his body wouldn't let him do it anymore."

"I wonder how he balanced that out with taking care of my father and grandmother."

"Makarov did say he considered retiring after your father was born."

"What changed his mind?"

"A vampire sneaked into their house one night and tried to drink your father from his crib. Archibald got to him just in time but ever since then he and your grandmother lived in constant fear that another one would go after him."

"So vampires actually feed on infants?"

"Children and virgins are special favorite to them. Their blood is pure, innocent, and untainted. In other words extremely ripe."

Lucy felt a little sick to her stomach when she said that.

"How could they do that to children?"

"That's the thing about vampires Lucy. Most of the time all they care about is their own survival and their own desires. Every vampire has at least once forgotten their morality and focused only on their thirst. Even Natsu."

"Has he ever drank a child?"

"No. He hasn't."

"Not even before the contract?"

"Natsu lacked many morals before I came along but even he couldn't bring himself to harm children. Natsu has very complicated view of people and it was especially complicated before he went dormant. Back then he believed that pretty much everyone is evil in someway even God, but children. They're the only things in this world he believed to be truly innocent which is why he always spared them."

"What does he think of people now?"

"He thinks the most of them are evil but he believes there can be some genuinely good people. He still hates God and that causes a lot of conflict with Gray."

"How so?"

"Well you wouldn't believe it but Gray is very religious. He's protestant an devoted to God."

"A Christian devil?"

"I know it is weird but remember Gray is not a devil by choice. He was born like that and further more he's not dead."

"Does he have a soul?"

"He does but he's scared out of his mind that it's condemned weather he's good or not."

"Is it?"

"I couldn't say for sure but I don't believe that God would damn him to hell. In my eyes he's more human than most."

"How exactly was he born a demon anyway? I mean how is that possible?"

"I don't know the whole origins. Gray and Natsu don't really like to talk about their pasts but I do know for a fact that both his parents were human."

"Again how is that possible? For two humans to have a devil child? You sure they were both human?"

"He had that suspicion once so he asked me to have a friend of mine who's a doctor run a D.N.A test for him and his parents."

"How did he get the D.N.A? Weren't his parents dead by then?"

"Yes but their skeletons still remained even after all that time had passed. We took D.N.A from their bones. It was a perfect match. Silver and Mika Fullbuster are without a doubt his biological parents."

"Huh...Strange. How did his parents react to all this? Did they fear him?"

"He doesn't know. He never knew them. His father was killed while his mother was still pregnant with him and she later died in childbirth."

"What about Natsu's parents?"

"They're dead too."

"I figured but how did they die?"

"Killed by Turks when he was a little boy."

"So if they both lost their parents at a young age who raised them? They couldn't have possibly grown up on their own. At least not Gray, he was a newborn baby when his mother passed."

"I asked both of them and they won't tell me. They're so secretive but I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later. Funny thing is they think if they don't talk their secret is safe but sooner or later all secrets come to light."

"That's true." She said looking down at her grandfather's diary.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning some mature content ahead.

As soon as they got back to the organization Erza started reading Archibald's diary. Lucy wanted to read it too but Erza told her that she wasn't sure if Lucy could handle some of the horrors that could be written in it. Horrors that Erza had actually witnessed so reading it wouldn't disturb her that badly. Of course there was also another reason that Erza didn't want Lucy to read it. She had promised Natsu that she wouldn't let anyone find out what he had done that lead to Archibald finding him and staking him all those years ago and she was sure that his deed was written in this diary somewhere.

She skipped over the passages about Natsu because she didn't want to think about what he had done and she was relieved to finally find something about Regine. According to diary she was the last vampire Archibald fought and slayed but he feared that one day in the near future she would somehow revive herself and unfortunately what he feared had come to pass. What she read on that woman almost made her heart stop. She heard many horrifying things about vampires but nothing like this. If she wasn't used to witnessing such nightmarish things she'd probably be scared to sleep for a year. When evening came she called a meeting to tell everyone what she learned.

"Ladies and gentlemen." She said. "We may just have our biggest and most dangerous target yet."

"You found something on Regine?" Natsu said.

"I did. Archibald encountered this woman years ago and his diary has every record there is on her and dear God above...I don't think I've ever read about any...Thing so evil in my entire life."

"What do you mean?" Juvia asked.

"Regine is no ordinary pure blood vampire. She's the very first of them. Centuries back, a little after Natsu was turned a woman tried to summon Satan so she could make a deal for eternal youth and beauty. But she summoned a bat from hell by mistake, it killed her, took over her body, and then Regine was born. Soulless, immoral, unempathic, blood thirsty, and power hungry. She has killed over a million men, women, and children for their blood and she didn't just drink it."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu said. "Injections weren't around when she was first formed so orally is the only way to get blood."

"No. No there's another way." Erza was fighting the urge to vomit. "None of them had ever seen her like this."

"What exactly does she do to get blood in her system?" Gray asked.

"She'll drink it but other times she'll...She'll...She'll bathe in it."

All four of them were stricken with looks of horror and disgust.

"Ba-Ba-Bathe?" Natsu choked out. "In blood?"

"Oh God! That's so sick!" Gray said. "Why the hell would she do that?!"

"According to the diary it was to...To savor every moment of her victim's suffering."

"Oh that is all sorts of wrong!" Natsu said.

"I think I'm gonna puke." Lucy said.

"I think I'm gonna faint." Juvia said.

Natsu quickly poured Lucy a cup of ginger tea and had a bucket ready for her while Gray sat Juvia down on a sofa and fanned her with a folded newspaper he picked up.

"Keep it together ladies." Erza said. "I know it's nauseating but be grateful you didn't have to read the details of it. By the time I was done reading I was ready to puke and faint."

"Please don't." Gray asked. "There are only two men and three women here."

"Yeah so we can only be a rock to one woman at a time." Natsu said.

"Oh come on boys you know me better than that." She said. "But it was disturbing. Anyway during her time on earth she realized that humans out numbered vampires a hundred to twenty so to speak and she believed that humans were too inferior to rule over the earth so she made her own race."

"How did she do that?" Gray asked.

"She fed her own blood to common bats and it transformed them into pure blooded nosferatu. Vampires who have no humanity and no soul in other words pure evil. Her goal is to wipe out humanity and to have her 'children' take their place."

"But she can't actually do that can she?" Juvia asked. "I mean it's not possible."

"I don't know if she can do it or not but she can try and you'd be surprised how much damage a person can cause just by trying."

"But where do I fit into all this?" Natsu asked. "Why does she want me?"

"It didn't say. Archibald met her sometime after he staked you and I don't think you were ever mentioned in her chapters."

"So now what do we do?" Gray asked.

"For now I think we should get some sleep and tomorrow we should prepare to investigate the train station. If that is going to be the place where they strike next we need to be ready. Lucy, Juvia, do any of you need help getting back to your rooms?"

"We're fine." Lucy said.

"Are you sure? None of you are feeling sick or out of it are you?"

"I think I'm better."

Juvia stood up from the sofa and tried to go back to her room but suddenly she felt a little dizzy again and started to collapse. Gray quickly caught her with his arms around her waist and back. Their faces just a few inches from each other. Now they both felt a little dizzy but for an entirely different reason.

"Uh..." He said finding it hard to speak for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"I...I'm fine." She said. "It's just a brief dizzy spell

"You sure?"

"Yes. Thank you. I guess you'll always be there to catch me huh?"

_"I guess you'll always be there to catch me huh?"_

Gray felt his heart skip a beat, he shook his head and immediately broke away from her while not looking at her face.

"Whatever. Try not to fall so much."

"O...Kay." She said confused by his change in demeanor. "You know before I go to bed I think I'm going to call Gajeel and let him know how I'm doing."

"The phone is in the next room down the hall." Erza said.

"Thank you. Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight." Everyone but Gray said. He just watched her figure walk down the hall toward the other room until it was out of sight and then turned to see Erza, Natsu, and Lucy staring at him with confusion and concern.

"Well what are you three looking at?"

"Nothing." They said in unison before Erza and Lucy went to bed and Natsu went for a walk outside. Gray huffed in annoyance and before shaking his head again he went downstairs to retire to his room for the night. Natsu stayed behind a little and spied on him to make sure that he didn't go berserk or something. He went to straight to his room but Natsu still feared that something might happen.

So he slipped into Juvia's room and put a very special stone under her bed. It was called a Sinner's Stone. Centuries ago Jesus Christ had said to his followers "He that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her." And some say that when they threw down their stones, admitting that they had sinned and were impure it had given evil's influence strength but in truth it had weakened it for they had humbly acknowledge their faults instead of arrogantly declaring themselves as perfect. Well most of them at least. So those which had been used to signify accepting responsibility for one's sins and acknowledging that one had sinned it gave that type of stone holy power that could put up a barrier against devils and cause them great pain if they tried to break through it.

"I didn't want to do this." Natsu told himself. "But if he refuses to get injections to control those urges then I'll have to use my own way to prevent him from harming her."

With that said he left her room and went out into the night.

...

_That night when Juvia opened her eyes again she did not recognize where she was. She was in a room and lying in a bed but it was not her room nor was it her bed. It was a large bed with sheer curtains hanging from it and there were no covers only a white bed sheets. She sat up to get out of bed and figure out where she was but stopped when she realized that she wasn't wearing any clothes. She blushed terribly and covered herself with the white sheet._

_"What's going on?" She asked herself. "How did I get here? And where are my clothes?"_

_She looked around the room. She appeared to be alone so maybe she could get dressed without anyone seeing but just before she could even think about moving she heard the floor creek. It was the kind made when someone was quietly walking and trying not to make a sound. She held her breath. Someone was in here._

_"Oh please be female. Please be female. Please be female." She begged in a whisper._

_But to her horror she saw that the figure standing across from her was male. Male, wearing only pants, and recognized as Gray. She tightened her hold on the blanket covering herself. Why was he here? Why was he half dressed? And why had her fear of being dishonored if he saw her changed to the fear of him being disgusted with her appearance._

_He moved toward the bed, sat across from her, and just looked at her. She wanted to either ask him if he knew what was happening or go under the blanket but she could do neither. He had her frozen stiff with those eyes of his those stone cold but gentle eyes._

_"Such beauty." He moved his hand to caress her face. She would have objected but his tender touch caused her to lose her senses._ _"I know you're ashamed of your looks but the truth is you're the most beautiful creature God has ever created."_

_She had a strange feeling inside of her. It was something she had never felt before._

_"I won't touch you without your consent." He said. "But y_ _ou don't have to be ashamed or embarrassed to let me see you. There's nothing about you that's disgusting."_

_He tried to get up to leave but she did something unexpected of herself. She gently clung to his arm. His body changed and he started to become more demonic looking but she was afraid. She only laid back down in bed and placed his now clawed hand back against her cheek. With great care he hovered over her and leaned down to kiss her. He kissed her, touched her, he held her, and she didn't want him to stop. She knew this was wrong. She had to be chaste and yet she had forgotten all reason for why that was. He was cold but so gentle. Like his eyes._

_She wanted his eyes to see all of her. She had just started move the sheet away when..._

She woke up. She was back in her room, back in her bed, wearing her nightgown, and completely alone. A dream? It was all a dream? Odd. She had never had a dream like that before. She didn't even think she could have dreams like that. Why did she dream that? She didn't have sexual urges. At least she thought she didn't. And why were they directed toward Gray? A devil? Was she going crazy?


	21. Chapter 21

Juvia was still blushing even in the morning. She couldn't believe the dream she had last night. Sex had never appealed to her not even when puberty kicked in and because of that she was positive that she was asexual. So she figured that she didn't have to worry about the struggle of not falling in love with a man once she became a nun. Now it wasn't like she had never been around attractive young men before. In fact there were plenty in the convent but she never felt any desire toward them. Meaning staying chaste should've been easy for her.

But now here she was having a dream where she committed sins of the flesh with Gray. Why did she have that dream? Did this mean she had developed feelings of lust for him? No. She couldn't have. Lust was a sin and she was a nun. How could she be lusting after a man? And not just any man, a man who was a devil. Oh what would Gajeel think if he knew about this? No if he knew about this he wouldn't think anything. He'd kill over from horror.

But the thing that she found to be the most puzzling about that dream was that it didn't feel lustful at all. In fact it felt pure and loving. Like the emotions and the touch she felt in her dream came from love and love alone. So did this mean that her feelings for him weren't lust but really love? But how could that be? She hardly knew him.

"Hey Juvia." Lucy said said putting her hand on her shoulder.

"My thoughts are pure!" She cried in a panic.

"What?"

"Nothing." She said calming down. "Sorry for being so jumpy. I...I had a difficult time sleeping last night."

"What happened? Late night noises keep you up?"

"No."

"Lumpy mattress?"

"No."

"Were you too cold?"

"No."

"Too hot?"

"Uhhh." She blushed. "I...I...I had the most perplexing dream last night."

"Really? What was it about? If you don't mind me asking."

"Well...It's a little hard to explain." Lucy finally noticed how blood red Juvia's cheeks had become. She recognized that blush. She got that blush all the time whenever her suitors made indecent, teasing comments that made her do a little harmless fantasizing.

"Oh that kind of dream." Lucy said with teasing smile.

"No. No it's not what you think."

"Don't worry I won't judge. So who was it with?"

"Lucy if I told you who it was you would think that I had lost my mind."

"What do you mean?"

"It's someone I could never even imagine doing it with- Well actually I never imagined doing it in general but bottom line it's someone who if I did it with would probably shame me for the rest of my life if other people knew about it."

"Oh God it's not Gajeel is it?"

"Heavens no!" Juvia cried in horror. "He's taken care of me since I was a baby. He's like my father. That's beyond disgusting! It's...Ugh! There's not even a word for it."

"Okay that's a relief. But if it's not him then who is it?"

"Can I just keep it a secret for now Lucy? Please?"

"Alright I won't press you any further."

"And please don't tell anyone about this. Especially Gajeel. I can't imagine how he would react if he knew that I...That I may harbor such feelings."

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think."

"Not as bad as I think? Lucy I'm a nun. I can't have those feelings."

"Well have you taken your vows yet?"

"No. I wanted to take them when I first began my studies but Mother Mcgarden insisted that I wait til I was older in case I fell in love and wanted to change my mind. I guess over the years I forgot to take them."

"Then you're not really doing anything wrong by having these feelings. After all you didn't take your vows."

"But this is crazy. I feel like I'm betraying everything I believe."

"Um Juvia I may not be as knowledgeable on the bible as you are but I'm pretty sure sex isn't against your religion. Not marital sex anyway. I mean come on God does understand love and the fact that we have no other way to repopulate the earth."

"I'm not talking about sex. It's a matter of who it's with."

"Who it's with? Is it a woman?"

"No he was male."

"Don't tell me it was an animal."

"No! No! No! Look can we just stop talking about this before someone hears and it somehow reaches Gajeel."

"Okay. Okay. But is it really so bad if he knows?"

"Lucy it's time that I told you about a chapter in my life that you don't know about. The one called Me, Gajeel, and boys. Now as you know growing up I never really showed much interest in boys aside from wanting to be friends or trying to convert them but despite that Gajeel couldn't help but be a little overprotective of me when I became a teenager."

"Really? How did that work out?"

"Wednesday April 20th 1930. I'm fifteen years old and I had just finished my lessons. One of the local boys named Albert asked me if I would like to go down to the nearby creek to do a little fishing. Sounds like fun so I agree to. We talk, catch some fish, and he tries to kiss me but before I could politely decline, out of the bushes comes Gajeel with a whip."

"He didn't beat you did he?"

"No. He's never used that a day in his life. But poor Albert didn't know that. Ran away screaming like Satan was after him." She sighed. "I do love Gajeel so much but there are times where I think he's completely insane."

"Did he do that to every boy who liked you?"

"After that incident no boy would dare like me or at least not let it be known he liked me. He didn't just do it to me either, he did it to Mother Mcgarden."

"Why? You I can understand but why Mother Mcgarden?"

"I don't know. Maybe he wants to protect her chastity. She is rather short and could be overpowered."

"Don't take this the wrong way but how could you have grown up with that psycho?"

"Hey he is not a psycho. He's a maniac but not a psycho. And he does have a very sensitive, soft, and gentle side to him."

"Right."

"I'm serious. You know he used to sing lullabies to me when I was little. He always made sure that I did well in school, but had time to play and be a child, he gave me singing lessons when I wanted to join the church choir, and every year on my birthday he always made sure that I got to eat my favorite dessert."

"What's that?"

"Chocolate cherry cake with buttercream frosting."

"He really did all that?"

"Yep and honestly I have no idea how he managed to do it. He was a kid himself when he brought me there."

"Wait a minute he brought you there? I thought you were dropped off at the church. I thought the other nuns found you and Gajeel was already there."

"No. Let's see he was about eight years old, homeless and decided to seek shelter at the nearest church. On the way there he found me on the side of the road and decided to take me with him."

"Did see anyone leave you there?"

"I don't know. I asked him that years ago and he told me no."

"So it's a no then?"

"I'm not really sure. He told me no but I felt like he was hiding something. Like there was more to that story than what he told me."

"You think he lied to you?"

"Maybe. I have no proof that he lied and I believe that if he did he had good reason to."

"What reason would he have for lying about that?"

"I'm not the only orphan who grew up in that church. Lots of the children who came there had horrible parents that were just cruel to them. If Gajeel did lie maybe he knew something awful about my parents and was afraid that I would be hurt if I knew the truth."

"But don't you ever wonder about them?"

"Of course I do but sometimes it's good not to know certain things. Maybe I'll press him about it someday and who knows maybe he wasn't even lying but right now we have much more important things to do."

"You're right. Come on we better go meet with Erza before we're late. You know how she is about punctuality."

"I know all too well."

The two young ladies then made their way to the tea room.


	22. Chapter 22

In the tea room Erza explained what their next move would be. The plan was that they were going to sneak on to the train that the vampires were supposed to attack next week. After pulling their prisoner for information, they found out the exact date, time, and which train would be targeted. Erza had to pull a few strings but she was able to four tickets to the train for her agents. They boarded it right after sunset and made sure that they didn't look inconspicuous.

"I wonder why vampires would hijack a train." Lucy whispered to Natsu. 

"Maybe they want a ride with a free meal." He whispered. "To creatures like them every passenger on here is an all you can eat buffet."

"But there's too many people here." Gray said. "Pure blood vampires rarely feed in public. That would risk exposure."

"How do you know that? I don't even know that."

"Centuries ago when I started hunting you I made it my mission to learn every fact about vampires I could find."

"I learned facts too."

"Did you read the ancient texts?"

"They were in Latin. I can't read Latin."

"I can."

"Why you and not me?"

"Don't you remember when they tried to teach us Latin when we were thirteen? I paid attention while you slept through the entire classes. "

"Oh yeah..." He said remembering that. "Well Latin is a stupid language."

"I beg to differ. You know a lot of paranormal beings speak Latin because humans don't really bother to learn it anymore. So they use it as their own way of speaking in code to each other."

"Oh so that's why Mother Mcgarden insisted I learn Latin." Juvia said. "I always thought it was because she was a traditionalist."

"My father made me learn Latin too but that was because he wanted to brag to the neighbors about how more educated and cultured I was than them." Lucy said.

"Hold on does everyone here know Latin except me?" Natsu said.

"Yep." Gray said.

"Pretty much." Lucy said.

"It would seem." Juvia said.

Natsu made a look of embarrassment but it didn't last long. He then turned his attention to the window of the train so he could look out at the night atmosphere. For hours everything was quiet and it appeared that nothing was going to happen but both Natsu and Gray knew better than to let their guard down because vampires always struck when you least expected it. They kept their eyes and ears open for any sign of anything unusual. But again things appeared calm until about three hours later when Lucy felt something clutching up her dress and she presumed it to be Natsu so she slapped him.

"Ow!" He said rubbing his cheek. "What was that for?"

"Pervert! You keep your hands to yourself and out of my dress!" She scoffed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb! I know that was you getting handsy with my skirt!"

"What?! You're nuts lady! I didn't do that!"

"Yes you did!"

"Actually it was me." An unfamiliar voice said.

"Who said that?" Natsu asked as he and his group looked around for the person that was addressing them.

"Down here." The voice called quietly. 

They looked down and saw that it was a little girl hiding underneath the seats that Natsu and Lucy were sitting in.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to grab your dress. It was an accident."

"Who are you?" 

"And what are you doing under the seats?" Lucy added.

"My name is Wendy and I'm trying to hide so don't be so loud. You might give me away."

"Hide from who?" Gray asked. 

"These weird guys who were following me. When it got dark they just appeared out of nowhere and they wouldn't leave me alone. I boarded this train to get away from them but they found me. I managed to ditch them in the last cart but they'll probably be on my trail in just a few short minutes."

"Kid what exactly do these guys who are following you look like?" Natsu said.

"Let's see they were pale and they looked old but at the same time they also looked young. They had a very dead and sullen appearance with these horrible red eyes."

"Ah targets have made their presence known." Natsu said cocking his crossbow with wooden stakes. "Kid you stay here while we take care of those stalkers for you. Hey sister you think you can watch her?"

"Don't worry I'll keep her safe." Juvia said loading up her gun. 

"Wow you're a nun and you use a firearm?" The girl called Wendy asked in amazement.

"Yes but don't take that as meaning that support the use of violence for conflict resolution. Only when it's absolutely necessary dear."

The men concealed their weapons and Lucy got her bracelet ready then they subtly made their way to the other train cart without being noticed by any of the other passengers. 

"What are they going to do?" Wendy asked Juvia. 

"To tell you the truth they're most likely going to kill the people following you."

"What?! I just wanted them to stop following me. I didn't want them dead."

"Don't be too upset about it. I don't think they're really human. "

"They aren't? What are they?"

"Well...I'm not sure how I should tell you this because I'm not sure if you'll believe me...But...They're vampires."

"Vampires? Oh no. Not again."

"Oh so you do believe vampires exist. Thank goodness. I was worried you'd think I was crazy and run away."

"No I know they're real and this isn't the first time I've been stalked by them. They've recently taken a special interest in me."

"Why you?"

"Promise not too freak out when I tell you." She said while doing everything she can not to let Juvia see her teeth. 

"I promise."

"Okay it's like this."

...

The train cart that the three of them went into was completely empty and dark with no sign of a single passenger. They saw nothing but Natsu could smell that they were not alone.

"Don't bother hiding from me!" Natsu called out. "I can smell your rotting souls all around here so why don't you just quit delaying the inevitable and show yourselves?"

In about five minutes two bats dropped down from the cart ceiling and took to their true forms as vampires. Just Wendy had said they were very pale and looked both young and old with a death-like appearance which for a moment puzzled Lucy because Natsu didn't look like that at all. Come to think of it, compared to the other vampires she had seen Natsu bore very little resemblance to them. Yes he had red eyes and fangs like them but that's where the similarities ended. He didn't have their sickening pale skin or their mixture of old and young appearance. He didn't look dead or sullen either. His skin was tan, his appearance completely youthful and not a sign of age, and no where was there death or gloom. She wondered why that was? But her thought process was soon interrupted when the other two vampires spoke. 

"We don't have time to deal with the likes of you all." One of them snarled. "And you can just drop your weapons and get the hell out of here because we're not going to drink anyone on this train...Well maybe one or two passengers but hey a vampire's gotta eat."

"Our main purpose here is not blood lust. It's merely to grab a kid we were following this evening." The second said. "We're under strict orders to bring her back with us and nothing else. Your services aren't needed so leave us to do as we as were ordered."

"Yeah not gonna happen." Natsu said.

"What do you overgrown parasites want with a human child?" Gray asked. 

"Human? Oh don't be fooled by her innocent appearance." The first vampire chuckled. "Sure she may look the part but she's definitely not human. Not entirely anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"None of your damn business! Now step aside and let us take her!"

"Sorry but you see even though I'm a vampire myself I have some standards." Natsu said. "And one of them is not harming children or allowing them to be harmed. So there's no way in hell I'm letting you bastards anywhere near that little girl."

"Have it your way but we refuse to accept failure." He turned to his partner. "Let's kill em all!"

"Agreed."

The two vampires then lunged for the three humans hunting them thus ensuing their fight. 


	23. Chapter 23

The fight gave off a very loud noise which didn't go unnoticed by the human passengers in the other cart. One of the train crew members decided to look into it, Juvia tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. In about five minutes he was thrown back into their cart along with a door that had been broken off. All the passengers started to panic and run or jump for their lives. Juvia and Wendy just stayed seated and calm, the little girl considered running as well but Juvia assured her that everything was under control. However plans changed when one of the vampires fighting with Lucy and the boys managed to get onto the cart. His evil eyes were pointed directly at Wendy.

"Hey you!" He called over to Juvia. "Hand over the kid, sister and maybe I'll just give you a little nip instead of a whole bite."

Juvia felt a shiver down her spine as he bared his fangs at her. But instead of giving into his demands she shielded Wendy with one arm and used the other to pull out her gun which she aimed at him. 

"Not going to happen." 

She fired a shot but he dodged the bullet with his incredible speed. She continued to shoot at him but he kept dodging each bullet fired. One bullet bounced off the surface and grazed some skin on her arm. It wasn't serious but it was enough to draw blood. 

"You're feisty for a nun." He said approaching them quickly and knocking her gun away. "I commend you for putting up a fight which most women like you are too meek to do but I have a job to do and you're in the way."

He reached for Wendy but Juvia blocked him the best way she could.

"Religious bitch!" 

He grabbed her arm with the intention of throwing her down and drinking her dry but when he grabbed her other arm which was bleeding he screeched in agony and released her. He tried to grab her bloodied arm again and again but the result was always the same. The very moment her blood made contact with his skin it burned him like an acid. 

"Your blood burned me!" He hissed. "Just what the hell are you?!"

However he was interrupted by a wooden stake that was fired into his back, ending straight into his heart. He dropped to the floor dead and they saw that the wooden stake came from Natsu's crossbow. 

"You two alright?" He asked them. 

"We're fine." Juvia said. "He didn't touch Wendy."

"You're bleeding." He said looking at the blood streaming down her left arm. 

"This...This doesn't make you thirsty does it?" She tried to hide her arm. 

"No. No I've got self control. Erza gave me like three pints before we came here but we should really dress that wound before the scent attracts someone else like me." He took off the scarf he was wearing. "Here I'll help you bind that until we get back."

But when he tried to bind it his hands were burned by her blood as well.

"Ahhh!" He shouted.

"I'm sorry!" She cried. "I didn't mean it! I swear!"

He looked down at his hands. The skin was either melted or charred. It would heal in a day or two but what stunned him was how it happened.

"That's what happened to the other vampire too." Wendy said. "When he tried to touch her he got burned."

"How did you do that?" Natsu asked Juvia.

"I don't know." She answered. "I didn't burn him. At least I don't think I did."

When Lucy and Gray made it into the cart they explained what happened and Lucy binded Juvia's wound up. After that they went back to the organization taking Wendy with them. Both Natsu and Juvia's wounds were tended to but Erza took a blood sample from the nun to study it and figure out what it was about hers that served as an acid to vampire skin. The results were something most bizarre. 

"It's fascinating really." She told them once the results came back. "It would seem that Juvia's blood carries holy water, that's why vampires can't touch it."

Upon hearing this, Gray looked over at Juvia in shock and disbelief. But it wasn't over the fact that such blood existed. In fact he knew from personal experience that there could be people with blood like hers. However his reason for staring was that she herself possessed that blood type and it made him worried because in a way it provided evidence for a theory he had about Juvia that he hoped wasn't true. Now Juvia didn't notice him staring at her in that way and neither did Natsu or Lucy, but Erza did. 

"That's crazy." Natsu said. "How does someone have holy water in their blood system?"

"It is puzzling and I don't know how it's possible but D.N.A doesn't lie. Every drop of her blood is mixed with water that holds the blessing of the holy spirit."

"So does that mean some priest injected holy water into your system?" Natsu asked Juvia. 

"I don't recall anything like that happening. I suppose I was born with blood like this." 

"You're positive this was something you were born with?" Gray asked. "No injections? No transfusions? No mutations? Nothing like that?" 

"I don't know. I don't remember ever getting any injections and blood transfusions. The only one who probably know for sure if I was born with my blood like this is Gajeel. He's been present during all my check ups and medical tests ever since I was a baby."

"Alright I'll make a note to talk to him about it later." Erza looked at Gray suspiciously when he said that. "For research purposes."

"I see. That aside how did things go on the train?" Erza asked. 

"No humans were killed." Natsu reported. "But those animals weren't there for another feeding. They were after a kid who was a passenger aboard."

"Where is she now?"

"We brought her with us. Right now she's in the waiting room and she's a little rattled by what's happened."

"Did she say why the vampires were after her?"

"No."

"She mentioned it to me." Juvia said.

"What did she say?"

"She couldn't say for sure why they were after her but she figured that it had something to do with what she was."

"What do you mean?" Gray asked. "What is she?"

"She said that she was half human half vampire."

"A dhampir?" Erza deduced. "Those are rare."

"No kidding." Natsu said. "I haven't seen one of those in centuries."

"What's a dhampir?" Lucy asked.

"It's a child born of a union between a vampire and human." Erza explained. "They're extremely rare due to the fact that most vampires are repulsed at the idea of loving or even getting sexual with a human, but not completely unheard of."

"Okay I agree with you on the loving part but what do you mean sexual?" Natsu asked. "There have been plenty of vampires who seduce or rape human victims."

"Yes but how many of them do you know let them stay human? Usually when vampires use humans in a sexual act they'll turn them in the process. However with this little girl it's not the same case. Her human parent was allowed to stay human and thus resulting in a half human child being conceived."

"But what kind of vampire would let their victim stay human if they can?" Gray asked.

"Well usually it's because of love." Erza said. "It's not entirely impossible for a vampire to love a human nor is it impossible for a human to love a vampire. Now those are rare cases but not impossible ones."

"Fair enough but what would this Regine person want with a dhmapir? Creatures like her will consider full fledged vampires useless if they started out human so why set her sights on one that's only half?"

"I don't know. It is a bit odd for nosferatu like her to target a dhmapir but until we find out more about her plans I suggest we keep this child in our protective custody."

"What about her family?" Juvia asked. 

"If she has one we'll contact them and bring them here."

"If she has a family?" Lucy said.

"Dhmapirs typically don't have either one of their parents with them. The human one usually ends up killed while the vampire one just disappears. She's likely an orphan but then again maybe she has human relatives who have looked after her or maybe her human parent is still alive. We'll have to ask her. In fact Natsu bring her in so that I may ask her some questions."

"Right." He said getting up from his seat and leaving the room to get Wendy.


	24. Chapter 24

Wendy felt a little shy and nervous as she stepped into the room to speak with Erza. The woman could sense the child's uneasiness and confusion so she made sure to approach her gently. 

"Hello there." She greeted. "My name is Erza Scarlet. May I ask what your name is young lady?"

"Wendy Marvell." She answered. "Am I in trouble?"

"No I just want to ask you some questions."

"Like what?"

"How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"I am told that you are a dhampir. Is that correct?"

Wendy nodded and showed off her fangs to clarify that fact.

"Are your parents still in your life?"

"No. They're dead. They died three years ago."

"I am sorry for your loss. Would you mind telling me about your parents?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Their names, what they were like, which one was human and which one was a vampire, how your parents met and how they treated you."

"My father was called Bane, he was a vampire and my mother's name was Grandeeney Marvell. She was a human. My mother was born in this country but she was of Romanian descent so she knew about vampires. Her families told her stories about them."

"And your father?"

"He was a pure blood vampire and he was given the name Bane because he was created for the purpose of causing suffering and misery to humans."

"Did he live up to that name?"

"He did until he met my mother. Fourteen years ago he and his clan were ambushed by vampire hunters. The fight ended close to dawn and he suffered fatal injuries that made him too weak to move. His own clan abandoned him to die in the sun at morning but instead he was found by my mother. She took pity on him, shielded him from the sun, and found a dark shelter for him to rest in until he recovered. She nursed him back to health and even gave him some of her own blood, no biting but she would find ways to fill a pint of her blood in a jar which she would give to him."

"Did your father ever harm her or try take her blood by force?"

"He thought about it but decided not to do either. My father says that when a vampire is given blood instead of taking it, it gives them a new feeling or perspective of things. He also would say to me that in all the time he had existed no one had ever given him anything. Blood, care, shelter, acceptance, it was all something he had to take or fight for it. Before he knew my mother nothing was given to him out of selfless compassion so that's why he fell in love with her."

"Was the feeling mutual?" 

"My mother had a strong sense of empathy. Somehow she could feel an instant connection to my father, to vampires, she understood that while these were creatures who killed as a means to live she also understood that these were also creatures who had never known real love. She became the first person to love my father. When they found a way to give him blood without killing my father decided to leave his clan, marry my mother, and live peacefully among humans. But the queen-"

"Queen? You mean Regine?"

"Yes. You've heard of her?"

"Only recently."

"She opposed my father's choice and refused to let him do it. She said she created my father therefore she owned him. He had no right to leave. But he did. My parents went somewhere far away where they hoped she'd never find them. Two years later they had me and for nine years we were happy. But then she found us and had her clan outnumbered us three to twenty. My parents were killed but I managed to escape that night and I've been on my own ever since."

"Do these events have anything to do with the vampires who were pursuing you tonight?"

"When Regine said that she owned my father that meant she believed she owned every part of him. Including me. She wants me because my father, her creation, conceived me. In other words she believes she has the right to have me because I wouldn't exist had she not created my father."

"Well you can rest assure Wendy that we will not let that woman have you." Erza said. "We will protect you from her in anyway we can."

"I thank you for wanting to help me but why? You don't even know me."

"True but it is my job to protect human beings from supernatural evils like Regine and her clan."

"But I'm only half human."

"Nevertheless you're still part of humanity therefore my agents and I shall protect you. Now do you have anywhere to stay?"

"Not really. I just move from place to place. I've been doing that since the passing of my parents."

"Then you'll stay with me."

"Are you sure?"

"I have plenty of space. More space than I know what to do with. In fact you can have my old bedroom from when I was a girl. Clothes, food, and anything else you may need will be provided for you until it is deemed safe for you to leave the organization's custody."

"Thank you but I don't have any money to pay for this."

"Money is no problem to me and it won't be to you. As of now you just focus on getting settled in. No doubt you're probably hungry right now so while we're getting your room prepared I'll have my staff fix you something. Natsu taking her to the dinning hall won't you?"

"Sure thing." 

He escorted Wendy to the dinning hall where they sat and waited for a meal to be brought. Wendy was asked if there was anything in particular she was hungry for but she said she would eat anything.

"It's awfully nice of your boss to let me stay here but she really didn't have to." Wendy told Natsu.

"Maybe but she's not the kind of person to let an orphan live on the streets especially if said orphan is being hunted by vampires."

"Even so I can take care of myself. I have for three years."

"Must've been pretty lonely though."

"It was. A lot of people were afraid of me because of what I was. I can't say I really blame them though."

"Have you ever drank blood?"

"Only animal blood. Because of my father's genetics I need to consume some form of blood once in awhile but because of my mother's genetics I don't need that much of it and it doesn't have to be human either. When I became aware of what I was I promised myself and my parents that I'd never drink human blood. Never ever."

"What a relief you have the capability of keeping that promise."

"My father was very afraid when my mother got pregnant with me. It's not that he didn't want me he was just afraid of what I'd become. After falling in love with Mom, Dad became disgusted and ashamed of what he was. He hated that he needed nourishment from creatures who were the same species of his wife. After they were married he didn't kill anyone to get blood anymore but drinking it still made him sick. He was worried that I would have to suffer with that burden. God only knows how relieved he was when he found that animal blood was enough to keep me healthy."

"What did your mom think?"

"She was thrilled. Said my conceivement and birth was a miracle. When my parents married they were certain they could never have children because my father had never been human. But Mom's family had mixed feelings on the subject. My grandfather thought her marriage was a mistake and that I was an abomination. My grandmother was more supportive, she was afraid and concerned but in the end she only wanted my mother to be happy and taken care of. But she died before I was born and when Mom wouldn't get an abortion my grandfather disowned her. She never saw her family again."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Mom said that if leaving her family was the price to pay for letting me be born then it was worth it."

"Sounds like your parents really loved you."

"They did." Wendy said pulling a photograph from the pocket of her jacket and looking at it fondly. "Mom and Dad were the best parents in the whole world. Even if they were unconventional." 

"Mind if I take a look at that picture?"

"Sure."

She handed the photograph to Natsu and he looked over it. The first thing he noticed was what appeared to be a young gentleman with a serious pale face, dark blue hair, and red eyes along with handsome features. In his lap there sat Wendy at a much younger age, smiling and looking innocent. Her left hand was holding someone else's, it was the hand of woman who stood next to them and when Natsu finally took a good look at her he felt as if he were about to cry. The woman was young, beautiful, and slim with alabaster hair and gentle eyes that were similar to the little girl she was holding hands with. 

"Natsu are you okay?" Wendy asked when she saw his hand trembling. 

It seemed like an eternity before he spoke again.

"Mo...Mother?"

"Yes that's my mother." Wendy explained. "Grandeeney Marvell."

"Grandeeney? That was her name?"

"Yes. I said it earlier in the meeting."

"I...I must of not heard it or noticed it..."

"Natsu what is troubling you? Are you unwell?"

"No it's not that it's just...Grandeeney was the name of my mother and...This woman looks exactly as she did. Well...Almost exactly...My mother's eyes weren't amber colored."

"What a coincidence."

He took note of her creamy brown skin.

"You said your mother was of Romanian descent?"

"Yes."

"My mother was from Romania and...Wendy is Grandeeney a common name where you live?"

"No not really. It's an old name that was in my family from way back. An ancestor my mother was named after due to the strong resemblance she shared with her."

"What ancestor?"

"She lived centuries ago, the younger sister to one of my many great grandfathers. As a young adult she was kidnapped by Muslim Turks and never heard from again. At least no one in my family ever heard from her again."

"Wendy."

"Yeah?"

"I think we might be related."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The main characters are of different racial backgrounds.
> 
> Natsu - Turkish/Romanian
> 
> Gray - Icelandic/Byzantine Greek
> 
> Lucy - German/Swiss
> 
> Juvia - Russian/Spanish Catholic
> 
> Erza - American
> 
> Wendy - American/Romanian
> 
> Jellal - Portuguese/American
> 
> Gajeel - Scottish
> 
> Levy - Irish
> 
> Makarov - English
> 
> Laxus - English
> 
> Also Gajeel is a hardcore Catholic and Gray is Protestant so now he has another reason to butt heads with him in regards to Juvia.


	25. Chapter 25

_Juvia did not know where she was. She recognized that she was in a church but it was not a church she knew of, however at the same time she did seem to know it. She was on her knees at the alter of the church, her hands clasped together as she whispered her prayers for her lord and savior to hear. Upon finishing her prayers, she glanced down at her clothing and discovered that it was not what she normally wore. She was wearing a lavender colored dress from a different time period that embroidery along the fabric and two different sleeves._ _Tight fitting ones and long flowing ones that were attached from her upper arm. She wore a cross around her neck like she always did but the chain was longer and the pendent antique. She glanced over in a nearby glass and saw her reflection, her physical appearance was the same except that her normally blue hair was now brown and had a diadem braided around her head. She was confused. Why was she in a church she could not recall? Why was she wearing these clothes? And what happened to her original hair color?_

_"My lady."_

_At the sound of another voice she looked behind herself to see that another young woman had entered the church. She appeared to be a little older than Juvia herself. She was wearing a kirtle dress with funnel sleeves, though her dress was very plain with neutral colors. Her hair was blue, same shade has Juvia's typical hair color. Her skin and eyes were similar to Juvia's as well. But the woman's nose, chin, and the manner of how she walked bore no resemblance. Poor Juvia was a hopeless klutz, not at all graceful like this woman._

_"Dianne." Juvia greeted the woman despite the fact that she was certain she had never seen her before. "I am happy to see you. It has been so long."_

_They embraced but then she noticed the look of grief on the woman's face._

_"Dianne is something wrong? You look grieved."_

_"You know of Hector Lockser, yes?"_

_"Yes. He is a good, fine, honest man. A man of the cloth if I am not mistaken."_

_"Not anymore."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"He is leaving this church, he fears that it is becoming corrupt and wants no more part of it. He is going to return to his hometown in Russia."_

_"Oh sad. He will be missed."_

_"I...I have been...There is a secret we have been keeping...My lady we...We...We are in love."_

_She looked at the woman stunned._

_"Forgive me." Dianne said falling on her knees. "I know that I am to be a servant of you til my last breath and that like you I must be pure and virtuous. I did not seek to love him but I did and we have not consummated our relationship but he has asked me to marry him and go with him. I want to but I fear the Vatican's wrath and dishonoring you, should I accept."_

_She got down on her knees and gently moved Dianne to face her._

_"You need not beg my forgiveness for falling in love. Nor do you need my permission to wed."_

_"But I vowed to serve you-"_

_"I release you from your vows and I forever mark you as pure and virtuous because that is what you are and what you will always be."_

_"But what of the Vatican? And Judge Trask? He will no doubt brand me a whore and have me whipped."_

_"No such actions will be committed against you or your husband to be. The Vatican is not God and neither is Judge Trask. It is not up to them to decide what it is a sin and what is not. No where in the bible is it written that love and marriage is a sin. And if I can I will see to it that the word whore never be used in regards to you. You may leave and marry without fear."_

_"You are so wise and so good for someone so young."_

_"I am neither wise nor good. I am just making sure you are not denied a joy that every woman should have. A joy which unlike you, I must be forever barred from." She said sadly. "But I do not envy you, I am thrilled by your good fortune. I pray that your marriage be happy and that you have many children."_

_"Thank you and if God should give me a daughter, I shall pray that she grows up to be like you."_

_"That is kind but do not wish that any girl be too much like me. Because even though you always see me with a smile, in truth I am very sad. So very sad because I cannot give my soul nor my body to the man I love. However despite this tragedy I have forced myself to accept, my love will be with him and follow him always. Even after death."_

Juvia woke up after that. Another strange dream. Thankfully, this one wasn't as perverse as the other but it was a lot more confusing. In the dream she felt like herself yet at the same time she felt like she was someone else. It wasn't just the hair color and the clothes that differed it was the feelings. In the dream she felt sad, restricted, burdened, and it was like she had felt that way all her life. It was all so unrecognizable but also familiar. 

"Am I going crazy?" She asked herself, fearing for her sanity. 

But then again not all dreams had to mean something right? After all dreams were just visions conjured up by the unconscious mind for God knows what reason. It was probably just random nonsense. Like that time Gajeel dreamed he had been chased by shark with legs. It took her and Mother Mcgarden forever to convince him that it wasn't a sign from God, about a devil shark coming for him. It meant nothing. Just randomness of the brain. However the dream seemed so real and that woman called Dianne, did she say she was marrying a man with the last name Lockser? She did and she looked similar to Juvia in certain ways. Did she just have a dream about her mother?

There was a knock at the door. Juvia got up from her bed, slipped on a robe, and answered the door. On the other side stood Erza.

"Did I wake you?" Erza asked.

"No. No I just got up. Is something wrong?"

"No but later after breakfast I want you to head over to the clinic. Gajeel has arrived to discuss your medical history."

"My medical history? Why?"

"It's nothing bad we just wanted to know if the holy water in your blood is something you were born with or developed over time."

"Alright."

"Also we've recently noticed something about Wendy's background. Something that's very puzzling."

"How so?"

"I'll explain later in the clinic. Also are you certain that Gajeel is the one who knows your complete medical history?"

"Him and Mother Mcgarden. The doctor who examined me from the time I was a baby died years ago, so they would be the only ones left who know."

"Alright then. I will see you after breakfast."

Erza left and went down to the clinic to where some tests were being run. Upon noticing the similarities between Wendy's mother and Natsu's mother, Erza suggested that a blood test be taken to see if there was any connection. It took all night for it to process but come morning they had results and it was a match. 

"So let me get this straight." Gray said when Erza told him the news that morning. "Natsu and Wendy are related?"

"Yes." She answered. "Apparently they're distant cousins through the maternal side. Natsu's mother and Wendy's 2nd millennium great grandfather were brother and sister."

"Huh...I didn't think Natsu had any extended family."

"He probably didn't know either before now. His mother was from Romania?"

"Yeah but she was abducted during an invasion of ottoman Turks. For what purpose I don't know but when they brought her to the empire she escaped and met Igneel, Natsu's father. Back then she had no way of getting back to Romania so he allowed her to stay with him. They become friends, then lovers, next thing you know Natsu's born."

"He was six when they died right?"

"Yep. Slaughtered by the order of Ottoman Emperor Mard Geer. His father was considered a traitor for not participating in their plan to ransack other empires, cities, temples, and churches so he was put to death. And when his mother refused to be apart of Mard's harem she was executed too. Natsu was then taken as a child slave but by the grace of God it wasn't long term. He was eventually rescued before too much damage could be done."

"He didn't witness their deaths did he?"

"Unfortunately he wasn't spared that trauma. The bastards held him down and made him watch."

"Oh my God." Erza said in horror.

"Yeah it was to make sure he wouldn't get any ideas about rebelling. After the rescue he was numb for almost half a year. We didn't think he'd ever come out of it."

"No wonder he got so emotional when he saw how much Wendy's mother resembled his own."

"He doesn't talk about it and it happened centuries ago but I know he still hasn't gotten over it."

"I don't think anyone can get over horror like that." She aid recalling when she had witnessed he own mother getting killed when she was young. 

"With stuff like that happening, I wonder if I'm lucky or unlucky that I never met my father and was too young to remember my mother."

"Who's to say?" Erza shrugged. 


	26. Chapter 26

Gajeel was not too pleased with being called back to the organization. There was a lot that needed to be done at Kardia Cathedral and he didn't like putting off his work. But Erza insisted that it was vital he come to discuss Juvia's medical history. Joining him on his return to the organization was Levy Mcgarden the mother superior of their church, she came along because she too had knowledge on the medical history of the priest's ward. Levy was quite young for someone in her position, young but not ill equipped to the task. She had been studying the bible and holy texts from the time she was four years old, strong in her faith, gentle at heart, and of chaste virtue. Sadly however Levy happened to be a very beautiful and attractive woman so she had tendency to earn a lot of male gazes and catcalls. Much to her annoyance and Gajeel's anger.

"In all the years I've lived in this town I've never once heard of this organization." Levy said to Gajeel.

"Well if you ask me it's nothing but a nut house full of heathens and lunatics." He told her.

"Now Gajeel be civil won't you?"

"Well what am I supposed to call a place that allows two bloody monsters to still roam the earth?"

"You don't know for sure if these...Men are considered monsters in the eyes of God. Judge not that ye, be not judged."

"Hard not to judge two beings created by Satan and to tell you the truth I don't like the idea of Juvia being mixed up in all this."

"It was her decision to join."

"But she's just a child. She doesn't know what she's getting herself into."

"She's not a child. She's twenty-one years old. A grown woman who has every right to make her own choices."

"Yes chronologically she's an adult but she still thinks like a child."

"I will not deny she is innocent and naive on certain aspects of life but that doesn't mean she's immature."

"I know but...Oh Levy if only you knew what I went through before I came to Kardia. Then you'd understand my reservations about this place."

"You could always tell me." She suggested. "Then I would know and be able to understand."

"I would like to tell you but...It's too complicated for you or anyone to comprehend. My point is this world has had a habit of destroying anything pure and good in my life for no reason at all. So I'm terrified that Juvia will just become another good thing in my life that I failed to protect."

"I understand." She smiled. "Pity you never became a father because you behave very much like one. I still remember the first time I saw you. I was saying my prayers when I heard a knock at the cathedral doors, I answered it and there you were. Eight years old, standing in the pouring rain with that little baby in your arms. I freaked when you told me the baby was yours."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know but I was a little girl back then. What was I supposed to think?"

Soon they were let into the organization and escorted to the clinic. Juvia was yet to arrive because she was still getting dressed but Gray was there.

"Why is he here?" Gajeel asked.

"I'm here as a concerned friend." Gray answered.

"Good morning." Levy greeted politely. "I am Levy Mcgarden, Mother superior to Kardia Cathedral."

"Gray Fullbuster." He introduced and held out his hand to shake. Levy moved to accept but Gajeel stopped her.

"He's a devil." He warned her.

"Will you get off my back old man?" Gray said. "You know I'm harmless to humans."

"Are you really? Because you weren't exactly harmless to me."

"Yeah but my harmful actions toward you were always justified." Gray explained. 

"No they weren't. You were nothing but a bully who always harassed me."

"You always started it."

"Did not."

"Did to."

"Did not."

"Did to."

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Ahem!" Levy coughed. "Could we please behave in a civilized manner, gentlemen?"

They glared at each other and kept silent til Erza entered the room with Juvia.

"Levy." Juvia said with a smile. "It's so good to see."

The two of them embraced each other as two people would do with longtime friends or even realtives.

"How are you Levy?"

"Just fine thank you."

"At any trouble back home?"

"No thankfully."

"What brings you here? We only needed Gajeel."

"I know but he was worried he might forget something so he brought me along. You know how bad his memory can be sometimes."

"Hey!" Gajeel said.

"Now then shall we get down to business?" Erza asked pulling out a clipboard, some paper, and a pen. "Father Redfox how old was Juvia exactly when you found her?"

"Three to four months."

"Was she examined immediately after being brought to the church?"

"Yes. We were both examined."

"Do you remember what the doctor's results were? Regarding her health that is?"

"Yes. He said she was perfectly healthy. I mean she had a tiny cold from the rain but nothing serious."

"Anything unusual about her?"

"Like what?"

"Blood work perhaps?"

"Blood work?"

"Yes Father Redfox. Recently Juvia was apart of an assignment in which my agents had to deal with vampires. On this assignment she suffered a minor injury that drew blood and when her blood made contact with vampire flesh, it burned it. We ran some tests and discovered that her blood is full of holy water. This discovery baffled me and I wanted to know if Juvia's blood had always been like this. Was there an injection? Mutation? Or anything relating to that? Were you even aware that her blood contained holy water?"

When Gajeel heard this he briefly looked at Gray. That one brief look confirmed that he knew about it for a long time.

"Yes I knew about it." He admitted. "And no there was no mutation or injection. She was born with her blood like that."

"Really?" Juvia said. "How come you never told me?"

"I don't know. I guess over time I forgot about it."

"But how is this possible?" Levy asked. "How could someone just be born with blood cells that produce holy water in their veins?"

"I don't know."

"Are you certain?" Erza asked. "You don't even have an idea of why or how this occurred?"

"No. Just one of those bizarre things that happen in life I guess."

"In that case I apologize for calling you here on short notice." Erza said. "I thank you and Mother Mcgarden both for your cooperation. Please allow me to show my gratitude by treating you to lunch."

"Thank you very much." Levy said. "Lunch would be lovely. I shall go wash up."

"So will I." Juvia said.

The women exited first, the men would be last out but not yet. Gajeel was just out the door when Gray grabbed him and pulled him back inside. He closed the door and chose to lower his voice when he spoke.

"You lied." 

"Excuse me?" Gajeel said.

"You lied when you said that you didn't know how Juvia's blood got that way."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Hey you might have them buying that crap you spewed but not me. I'm a devil, lying is second nature to me and I know a lie when I hear one."

Indeed Gajeel had lied. He knew exactly how Juvia ended up with this seemingly impossible blood type but he did not speak of it because he feared what may transpire if the truth was known. Before coming to Kardia Cathedral, Gajeel had witnessed a horror that would haunt him til the day he died and he lived in constant fear of that same horror being repeated. So he felt it was best to keep certain secrets and to tell a few fibs, all to prevent that horrifying event from happening twice. 

"Alright I did lie." He admitted. "But I had good reason to."

"What reason?"

"None of your business."

"You're hiding something old man. What is it?"

"First of all stop calling me an old man. I'm not old, I'm very young. Younger than you."

"I don't care! What are you hiding? Tell me."

"I don't have to tell you anything. I don't pry you for your secrets."

"Fine but I do know some of your secrets. Like when you were really born and where and when you previously lived. And I might just let some of those secrets slip out."

"Don't you threaten me you spawn of hell."

"Why not? You can't stop me from talking."

"Maybe not but I'd think twice about that if I were you. Because that plan may backfire on you."

"How so? It's your secret."

"Yeah but in a way it's also yours."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can tell them about that part of my life but if you do you'll have to tell them how you know it. How you knew me back then and to do that you'll have to tell them about, her." Gajeel warned. "And I know you don't want anybody to know about that part of your life. Do you?"

Gray became upon realizing that he was playing with a double edged sword here.

"Our pasts and secrets regarding that subject are linked." Gajeel continued. "So by all means, expose me if you wish but remember you'll be exposing yourself also. Which is another reason why I lied."

"I don't follow."

"Let's just say if I were to come clean about Juvia's birth and origins, I would have to tell them both our darkest secrets."

"Alright. I get why you won't tell them but why not me? Why can't I know?"

"For her own good."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Just know that sometimes I keep secrets from Juvia and you for her safety and well being. I've learned from certain events in my life and I hope you have too." He turned back to the door. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm very hungry and would like to have some lunch."


	27. Chapter 27

Natsu's sleep during that day had not been a peaceful one. He managed to sleep but he found himself feeling anxious and shock over the startling news that Wendy and him were related. Albeit distantly but they were still blood. He thought that he had seen the last of his biological family centuries ago. So much time had passed but he recalled every event with his parents almost perfectly.

His father Igneel was a wealthy and privileged man, so his early years were very luxurious. Their home was a glorious manner house stationed in Turkey. It had been filled with millions of rooms and corridors that he had loved to run through and play in for hours. They had servants but his mother insisted that she be the one to cook all his favorite meals, she just had away of making food taste in a way that no other cook could. Then after dinner they would sit together around the fire place and his father would read to them while he would take turns between sitting in his father's lab and his mother's. He was six when his father finally decided to teach him to read and that's the same age he was when his seemingly perfect life was shattered.

They were just getting ready to sit down by the fireplace and Natsu was situated to where he would read along with his father when suddenly the door to their house was broken down by Emperor Mard's troops. All three of them arrested and brought before the man who Natsu would forever believe had no soul. Igneel had been arrested for ignoring countless requests or rather commands that he join in Mard's army to raid places such as Armenia and the Roman empire. Mard said that Igneel's refusal would be an act of treason because he claimed that his cause was to defend their country and honor but his father saw right through the man's lies. 

He boldly called out Mard on his lies, saying that his plans had no honor and that he wasn't asking his men to fight in a war to defend their country. He was asking them to commit genocide in order to further the tyrant's power. Mard then reminded Igneel of Rome's murderous crusades and Igneel responded that Mard had not been targeting crusaders. He had been targeting families, untrained and unviolent men, women, and even children. Slaughtering them, locking them in prisons, and or enslaving them. Igneel then swore by God that he would rather die a thousand deaths than serve Mard Geer's cause. 

No sooner had those words been spoken, Igneel was then held down and stabbed repeatedly. Natsu tried to look away but both him and his mother were forced to watch it until the life went out in his eyes. Mard then declared that Natsu's mother would be moved to his harem. She spat in his face and said that she would prefer to join her husband in death. That request was granted and Natsu was forced to watch his mother die the same way. The whole time he screamed, cried, and begged God not to let this happen but nothing could be done. And while this event was not what triggered Natsu's hatred to God it would serve as a build up to it.

Mard contemplated killing Natsu but decided to keep him alive as a child slave and Natsu wasn't the only innocent child he enslaved. He had abducted many children before Natsu and forced them all to serve him, but if one good thing could be said about a man like Emperor Mard Geer it was that he never used any of his child slaves for sexual acts. Only hard labor like building statues, monuments, and temples. Still cruel and inhuman but at least hard labor wouldn't damage Natsu's sanity...Much anyway. Natsu had only been enslaved for a month before he was rescued but it wasn't the slavery that damaged him. It was being forced to watch his mother and father die slowly and painfully. It was his first glimpse of how evil the world could be and so long as he lived he'd never forget it.

He was awakened from his troubling memories by a knock on the lid of his coffin.

"Natsu?" A voice from the other side called. He recognize the voice to belong to Lucy. "Natsu are you awake? Erza sent me down here to wake you. She says that it's become dark."

He opened the lid of the coffin and immediately caught whiff of an unfamiliar scent.

"What's the smell?" He asked her.

"Oh it's your breakfast." Lucy said referring to the tray she was holding. "Your evening breakfast that is."

He looked at the tray and sniffed it. It looked like the usual. A raw pig's heart and liver with a pint of Erza's blood to drink on the side, but he could smell something different.

"I hope it's to your liking. Erza was busy at the moment and she asked me if I would prepare your meal for you. I heated up the pack of her blood like she normally does but Gray had to handle the heart and liver part. I just didn't have the stomach for it."

The source of that smell was wrapped in a napkin.

"What's that?" He said pointing to the napkin.

"Oh that! I added some hard boiled eggs. They're leftover from my breakfast. They made me too much and I didn't want them to go to waste."

"Hard boiled eggs?" He lifted up the napkin, grabbed one of the eggs, and sniffed it suspiciously. The smell was putrid and the shell was not as delicate. "Are these rotten?"

"No."

"Then why do they stink?"

"That's how hard boiled eggs are. Don't you know that?"

"No. I've never heard of hard boiled egg."

"Really? You've never eaten one?"

"I've eaten fried eggs, scrambled eggs, even raw eggs once when faced with extreme starvation but never hard boiled eggs."

"Well I think they're delicious and they're excellent brain food."

"Does that mean you think I'm stupid?"

"No. It's just a fact about them. But if you don't want to eat them I'll-"

But he already gulped one of them down. At first he wasn't sure about the taste but found that he liked it very much. Especially with all the salt she had added to it. 

"Well they smell awful but they taste great. I can't believe Erza never fixed these for us before. Then again she doesn't like me to stray from the diet she keeps me on."

"You're on a diet?"

"She placed me on it years ago when she found out I didn't need food to survive. She said she wouldn't have one of her top agents become gluttonous and fat so she limited my diet to raw meat and protein, you know to boost up my strength."

"If you don't need to eat then what's the problem?"

"When you're a vampire bound by a contract to a person like Erza you don't get much pleasure in your life and what little pleasure I do get comes from food. Preferably ones with a lot of spice and flavor. Raw meat and protein however does not have much meat and flavor. See my dilemma?"

"Yes. I see. What about Gray? Does he still need to eat?"

"Unlike vampires and other living creatures, Devils don't typically need to consume anything to sustain themselves. I mean they'll consume souls but that's just because they're depraved. But Gray is a tricky subject. He's now a devil he still has a human body. A demonic looking one but it still craves what humans need for nourishment like food, water, and sleep but because of his devil nature he could go for days without all three. Days but not necessarily months."

"Does Erza keep him on a strict diet too?"

"No because to quote her 'Gray is not a hopeless glutton like you Natsu. He has the will power not to give himself a pot belly or diabetes.' Well newsflash I couldn't get diabetes even if I tried. My body no longer succumbs human ailments and health issues."

"It does sound silly." Lucy chuckled. "But you know her heart is in the right place."

"I guess. Sometimes I think she does it just to be mean or keep me in line."

"It may seem that way because you've been with her for so long."

"Too long. God she was a nightmare when she was a child. Back then she wasn't fond of us yet and she saw us merely as manservants to order about like a dictator."

"Oh come on it couldn't have been that bad. She was what, Wendy's age when she met you guys? And you two were probably twice her size back then."

"Size does not matter in terms of dictatorship. All the matters is if you have the will or the temper to do to it and she had both. She was a small but ruthless dictator who knew no definition of mercy."

"You know I'm curious. What was it like back then? Back when you were just getting to know each other?"

"There's a lot to tell and I don't think we have the time for it all."

"Then just skip to when you three started to be civil to each other. Tell me about when she started to like you two and you guys started to like her."

"Oh that story. That's an interesting one. Alright it was about eleven years ago give or take, as you would expect Makarov was none too thrilled that Erza had unleashed us and he spent days trying to seal us back up but it couldn't be done. Not as long as we were under contract and Erza stubbornly refused to terminate our contract until her needs were met. So like it or not, Gray and I were there to stay."

"So Makarov just accepted it?"

"He had no choice but to. It was Erza's call weather or not we got resealed. Not his."

"I guess that was a relief to you guys."

"You would think but not really. We were both miserable serving her and we felt that we had been better off in a comatose state for all eternity but then one day Makarov got called in for a case in his home country, England and he decided to bring his grandson Laxus with him. He was a teenager at the time and it was to be his first case, Erza was still considered too young so she had to say at the Bureau under the care of Makarov's son Ivan which proved to be a very poor choice in judgement because you see before he left he was reviewing his will..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback time!


	28. Chapter 28

1925

Makarov Dreyar had established two Bureaus of the Supernatural. The first was in America where he had spent many years studying and learning about the supernatural and the occult. The second he established in his home country England. He had successfully managed to run both organizations for many years but he was getting older and he knew that he wouldn't be around to run either of them forever. So he decided to write out a will which would explain who would take his place after death or retirement. Now many assumed that he would leave both organizations under the control of his son Ivan and while Makarov did love his son dearly he did not think he was suited for either positions. Sure he had the knowledge and the skill but he lacked the compassion and empathy required. The Bureau of the Supernatural wasn't just some prison or extermination company. It was also a hospital and rehabilitation center for victims of those who had been involved in the dark side of the supernatural seeking a way back to the light. Therefore compassion and empathy was needed as well as knowledge and skill.

"Write this in my will." He said to his lawyer. "When the time comes for me to relinquish my position as head to both bureaus I shall not pass the title down to one person. I shall divide it instead."

The lawyer wrote those words using the typewriter he owned. 

"And who would be the beneficiaries sir?" His lawyer asked him.

"My grandson was born in England just as myself and my son were. So it is only natural that Laxus takeover as head of the bureau in England."

His council all members nodded in agreement. 

"Does this mean that your son shall inherit the American organization?" His lawyer asked.

"No." He answered. 

"But Father it is my birthright." Ivan protested. 

"With all due respect my son, this position is not one you gain through birth. It is one that you earn and although I love you I'm afraid you have not earned the right to succeed me."

"What?! That cannot be! My knowledge and fighting skills are completely equal to yours in every way Father."

"Yes and that is admirable but you lack kindness and sympathy to the supernatural."

"Of course I do Father. These creatures are monsters."

"Not always Ivan. Some of these creatures are hardly monstrous at all and then there are those who wish to reform from being monstrous. Those forced or seduced into darkness and have now decided to return to the light. This organization must be very harsh to the supernatural but also very gentle as well. You are only harsh with them and I'm afraid that makes you unqualified to take my place."

"But Father who else could possibly succeed you?"

"My ward, Erza shall reign as head of the bureau in America."

The council members gasped in shock.

"But Mr. Dreyar." Said council member Jura. "She is just a child. Not at all up to such a difficult task."

"Not up to it now but all children grow and mature, and despite her young age I see remarkable potential in her. She behaves very much like many of my ancestors. Sometimes I think of her as my own flesh and blood."

"I am your flesh and blood!" Ivan shouted. "Not her! She's merely some brat you found on the street!"

"She is the farthest thing from a brat. Difficult yes but by no means a brat and yes Ivan you are my flesh and blood and I tired to teach you, to train you as every member of my family has done with each of their children but you refuse to listen. You refuse to understand my lessons in showing kindness to creatures natural and supernatural alike. Both my grandson and ward have seen the understanding of it but you have not. Therefore my grandson Laxus Dreyar shall succeed as head of the English organization and my ward Erza Scarlet shall succeed as head of the American organization. Provided this be done upon both reaching proper age."

"And am I to be left with nothing?" Ivan asked.

"No. To you my son I leave my entire fortune, estates, and income businesses in both America and England. I am certain that you will be content with that."

"Very well Father. As you wish." 

It appeared that he had accepted Makarov's decision but that was not the case. 

"Mr. Dreyar should anything tragic befall your grandson or your ward before they reach succession who would be second to inherit each organization?" The lawyer asked.

"Should Laxus pass before succession then Erza would be head of both bureaus and should Erza pass before succession then Laxus would be head of both."

The meeting was then dismissed and the lawyer left with the will. After that matter was settled, Makarov went to the lower level of the building where he found Erza forcing her newest "agents" to train hard. For weeks she had been subjecting them to brutal exercises in order to get their bodies in tip top shape for future battles.

"Come on you can do it." The twelve year old girl said to the vampire and devil she had forced to do a hundred push ups. "You two have been asleep for centuries, it's time to get back in shape and train for battle."

"Kid we've fought in a war!" Gray panted due to the agony he was feeling. "Fought and survived! We've had plenty training for battle! We don't need this!"

"Nonsense! No matter how much experience you've had you still need to train. Especially if you've been unconscious for such a long time."

"You stone hearted little twerp!" Natsu panted while feeling agony as well. "If I didn't have a standard against hurting kids I'd bite down on your head!"

"You couldn't do that even if you didn't have that standard. You're under contract to me so you must do whatever I say. In fact as of right now you are forbidden to bite any human with out my consent."

"What?! You can't do that!"

"Can, did."

"I was wrong before. You're not stone hearted! You're completely heartless! How am I supposed to thrive?! I need blood!"

"I will provide you with blood but it will be given to you with consent. Not taken by force. Now both of you stop complaining or when you're finished I'll make you do a hundred more followed by running laps...At normal human speed."

"Oh God and I thought I was a devil." Gray groaned.

Makarov chuckled to himself as he watched her those two. Indeed she was an excellent choice to succeed him.

"Erza." He called with friendly smile.

"Oh hello Makarov." She said cheerfully, replacing her authority demeanor with one of sweetness. "Take five guys."

She then ran over to greet him while her future agents collapsed to the floor from exhaustion.

"You know something I never thought I'd hate actually hate a child so much." Natsu said.

"Yeah but shockingly I don't hate her nearly as much as I hate you." Gray snarled.

"That goes double for me." Natsu hissed back. "This is all your fault you know."

"How is this my fault?"

"You lead Archibald to me and in the end we were both sealed up and transferred here. Thanks to you we're at the mercy of a tiny taskmaster! I hope you're proud of yourself!"

"Oh shut up! You're just lucky I'm too out of breath to slash your throat!"

"Enough fighting!" Erza ordered. "And keep quiet!"

The two former human beings did as she commanded but that didn't stop them from giving her death glares. 

"You're definitely working them hard." Makarov said observantly. "But aren't you being a little too harsh?"

"Yeah but didn't you always say that you have to be harsh with creatures like them?" 

"I did but also gentle. Provided of course they're creatures who respond to gentleness."

"Well I'm not sure if they respond to gentleness. How do you know if a creature will or will not?"

"That's a subject we can discuss later. For now I have some news for you."

"What is it?"

He took hold of her hands in a loving manner.

"Erza my dear you're growing up very beautifully and responding better than I expected to the training I've been putting you through. I'm so very proud of you."

"Thank you Makarov. Ever since you've taken me in, all I've ever wanted to do is please you."

"You have pleased me greatly. So much so that I've decided that once you complete your training and reach the proper age I shall make you the head of The American Bureau of the Supernatural."

Erza looked at him astonished. For as long as she could remember, she had always dreamed of becoming an agent of the bureau. One highly advanced and could be trusted by Makarov to do any mission. But to become head of the organization? The idea of such an honor had never crossed her mind.

"Makarov I'm honored but I think you might be making a mistake. Shouldn't that job go to Ivan or Laxus?"

"I have chosen Laxus to have control over the English bureau but Ivan has failed to qualify for that position. You're the only other person I know who will act accordingly to the title."

"But are you sure you want me?"

"This organization needs a strong, determined, and caring leader to keep it going and I am sure you will fit that description perfectly once you finish maturing."

At first she was utterly speechless then she threw her arms around the old man's neck, hugging him with gratitude and love.

"I'll do my best not to fail you." She vowed.

"You could never fail me." He assured her. 

One week later Makarov received that call from England asking him to investigate mysterious disappearances that occurred there. He chose to bring Laxus along, deciding that it was time for him to finally go on a mission. Erza however was still too young so she stayed home.

"I still don't get why I can't come." Erza complained.

"Because you're still just a little girl." The sixteen year old Laxus teased to her. 

"I'm not that much younger than you Laxus. We're only four years apart and we have the same grades in physical and intellectual training."

"But you're still not ready." Makarov said. "I didn't go on my first mission til I was sixteen and the same went for my son, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Laxus's time has come and yours will too in four years. Just be patient."

"You sure you don't want to come Dad?" Laxus asked Ivan.

"Oh no son. Someone needs to stay behind and look after things while your grandfather is gone."

"Exactly." Makarov said. "So Ivan please take good care of Erza in my absence."

"Of course Father." Ivan said. "But what about her two monsters?"

"They should give you no trouble. They are under Erza's control and they are contained in the house by a barrier." He turned to Erza. "We'll be back in a week and a half. Until then behave yourself and try to stay out of trouble."

"I will." She said.

He and Laxus then grabbed their suitcases and go into the vehicle which would drive them to the sea port where a ship to England was waiting. 


	29. Chapter 29

Erza wasn't the only one upset about being left behind. Natsu and Gray had hoped that she would be allowed to go to England with Makarov and give the two of them a break from her. A few days of peace and quiet, allowing them to hear their own thoughts, maybe destroy each other. Yes you read correctly, destroy each other. That's what they wanted to do with their free time.

When those two had been brought back into the world of the consciousness they both had only one goal and that was to destroy the other person for their supposed betrayal. In fact they would have fought each other to the death if Erza had not ordered them to never try to kill each other. The contract restricted them from doing it but the desire for revenge was still fresh in their minds. They had hypothesized that the restriction wouldn't be as strong if she wasn't present and they were desperately seeking for a chance to test out their theory.

The opportunity for Gray rose one morning after it had snowed. Erza had given him and Natsu the day off so she could go ice skating. As soon as she and Ivan left the house he put his plan to action quickly for he knew his time was limited. The sun was out so Natsu would be asleep, asleep and vulnerable. Gray used his claws he cut down a tree and carve a wooden stake and mallet from it. After that he crept down into the basement of the building where Natsu kept his coffin. As he drew closer to the shut coffin he gripped his tools tightly and made sure that no matter what, he wouldn't lose his nerve. He wouldn't let past relationship with him change his mind, no amount of once strong childhood friendship could get him to forgive the vampire for the unimaginable hurt that he had inflicted on to him.

Unfortunately for him when Gray moved to open the coffin he found that his body was no longer responding to his thoughts. Every limb became completely stiff and it refused to budge until he expelled the plan to kill Natsu from his mind. 

"Damn it!" Gray cursed as he threw down the stake and mallet. It was no use, that contract was the equivalent of iron clad chains which couldn't be broken, only unlocked by a key. And that key was Erza's word. He needed some air. If he couldn't use this opportunity to eliminate his rival, he could at least use it to clear his head. 

He left the basement and went outside for a walk in the woods. It was very cold outside today due to the snow but being a devil made Gray immune to extreme heat and cold. He could be frozen in a block of ice or set on fire completely and it wouldn't harm him. However he didn't like fire. Fire brought back bad memories.

He glanced over on the right side which allowed him to see a large and wide frozen lake. At the edge of the lake Erza was lacing up her skates while Ivan was close by watching her. When she was finished she proceeded to skate across the frozen lake. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold, her red hair was flying in the winter wind, and she was smiling. This was the first time Gray had actually seen her with a smile. The first time he ever saw her looking happy. It was quite a surprise to him because he was certain that she was one of those creepy kids who were never happy. But today he was proven wrong and another thing that was surprising to him was that he actually found her to be very adorable when she was happy. 

"I guess all kids can be somewhat cute." He thought to himself. "Even if they are deranged." 

He turned around and started to head back to the house when suddenly he heard a scream that made his blood run cold. He went in the direction of the scream and discovered that Erza had fallen through the ice. Her head was bobbing up and down in the water as she frantically reached for the edge and tried to pull herself up but found she couldn't do so because of how slippery it was.

"Ivan!" She coughed as she desperately tried to keep her head above water. "Ivan! Help! Ivan! Help me! Help me!"

Gray expected Ivan to rush over there and save her but he didn't. Now it wasn't like he couldn't see what was taking place or hear her crying because he could, but for some reason he was not moving to help her. Why wasn't he doing anything? Why was just standing there, watching her helplessly try to stay alive? Wasn't it his job to keep her safe? Eventually Ivan did move but it wasn't to help her, it was to walk away,

Erza went under again but didn't come back up. Now if any other ordinary devil was in Gray's position he or she would have gladly left the child to drown because you see not only were devils beyond cruel but if Erza were to die then the contract would be null and void. Her death would have been Gray's one way ticket to freedom but Gray was no ordinary devil and the very moment that little girl's head stopped coming up he bolted from the woods, broke through a great deal of more ice, and dove head first into the freezing waters. A few minutes later he came out holding Erza's tiny body in his huge arms. 

He had to act fast before she caught frost bite or worse hypothermia. He took her back to the house, removed her wet clothes, and wrapped her up several blankets. He laid her down on a sofa in the living room with the fire place and quickly got a fire started. After that he filled a bowl with hot water, soaked a wash cloth in it, and used it as compress for her forehead. She was stable and getting warm but there was no sign of her waking up. He decided to fix something for her while waiting for her to come to. Two hours had passed before that happened. 

"Wha...What's...What's going on?" She asked feeling a little groggy. "Where am I?"

"Oh good you're awake." Gray said entering the room while holding a cup of something hot.

"What happened? How did I get here?"

"You fell through the ice while skating so I pulled you out and brought you back here."

"You...You saved me?" She asked in a quiet yet surprised tone. 

"Yes. I think I just made that perfectly clear."

"Why?" 

"I guess I lacked the stomach to watch a little girl die. Even if she is the most irritating human being I've ever met." 

She tried to sit up.

"I'd be careful about moving if I were you." Gray said to her.

"Why?"

"Because you're naked."

"What?!"

She looked under the covers and found that she was indeed bare. She turned burning red in the face and pulled the blankets tighter around herself to hide any body exposure. 

"You undressed me?!" 

"Had to be done." He said nonchalantly. "Your clothes were wet and your feet were already in the early stages of frost bite."

"You saw me naked?!" Her redness grew. "You didn't think...I mean...You didn't...You know...You didn't touch me or have certain thoughts about me did you?"

"Hell no! Are you serious?! You're a child for God's sake! What do you think I am, some kind of deviant?"

"Well actually-"

"Don't answer that. I see where you're going." He said annoyed. "For future references I'm not looking for anything to satisfy my manly urges but if I was rest assured, I like em old."

"How old?" She asked suspiciously. 

"Twenty and up."

"Okay." She said relived. Suddenly she went into a coughing fit and realized that her throat had become sore.

"Still feel bad?" Gray asked her.

"Yes."

"Throat hurt?"

"Yes."

"I thought so." He brought the cup of hot liquid toward her. "Here drink this."

She sniffed it, it did not have a pleasant smell.

"Eww! What is that?"

"Medicine. Made it myself."

"It smells terrible."

"Yes and it tastes even worse but it's guarantee to make you feel better. Now bottoms up kid."

She shut her mouth and shook her head in stubborn refusal. 

"Oh come on, I thought you were more mature than that." He said. "Now don't be difficult. Open up."

She shook her head again.

"Open up and chug."

She still wouldn't comply so Gray tried a different approach. He merely pinched her nose and waited for her to take a breath with her mouth. She tried to pull his hand off of her but he was a lot stronger than she was. Eventually the need for breath forced her to open her mouth and when she did he put the cup to her lips and made her drink every last drop. 

"There we go." He said.

Erza coughed and hacked, gagging on the horrible taste of the medicine. 

"What was in that?" She asked.

"Just some roots, a few berries that grow year round, tree sap, and the drippings of boiled bear intestines."

"Intestines?! I drank intestines?!"

"You eat sausage don't you? That's basically pig intestines. Although technically speaking you didn't drink intestines, just the drippings of them."

"What kind of medicine requires drippings from bear intestines?"

"One that's centuries old and never fails. In a little while your throat will be healed and you won't cough as much. Trust me it works."

She wasn't sure if she believed him or not but soon she found that he had been correct. In a short while she felt no pain in her throat, she didn't cough, and her body wasn't even shivering anymore. She was impressed.

"It really does work. Where'd you learn to make something like that?" She asked Gray.

"When I was a little boy I had very poor health. I would get sick all the time and my childhood took place during a time when doctors weren't around much so the man who brought me up had to resort to natural remedies. I hated to take them because they were either bitter or rotten tasting but he always found a way to get it down my throat."

"Wait a minute, you were a little boy?"

"Yes."

"But you're a devil."

"Yeah so?"

"Aren't devils made fully grown? Oh wait! Duh! You're referring to when you were a living human."

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I was human once but I'm still living."

"Yes but by living you mean un-dead right?"

"No by living I mean I never died. My heart is still pumping and I still have air in my lungs."

"But that's impossible. Devils are the souls of evil humans when they die."

"Most of the time they are but I'm a different breed, if you will. Like most devils I started out human but unlike most, it wasn't evil acts or death that turned me into this. I was born a devil but because my parents were human, that part of me was dormant throughout my childhood and teen years. Then one day when I was fully grown something triggered it and now here I am."

"Astonishing." She said with fascination. "So you're not really evil are you?"

"I try not to be."

"I guess that explains why you saved me back there. Wait if you were born like this then that means you never really choose to be a devil did you?"

"No. I didn't."

"But I thought you did and I was really mean to you because of that. I'm sorry. I thought you were one of those sinner devils who escaped Hell or something. I didn't know you were actually a decent person who became one without any say in the matter. I'll try to be more nice to you."

"Does this mean you won't make me do push ups anymore?"

"I'll make you do fifty instead of a hundred and I'll give you more break time. Also I'll talk to you more respectfully."

"Well that's a start I guess."

"Can you leave the room now? I want to get some clothes on."

"Sure thing kid."

He started to walk away but stopped when she briefly called:

"Gray." It was the first time she had ever addressed him by his name and it was in a gentle way. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome." He smiled but made sure that she didn't see. 


	30. Chapter 30

By the time Erza had finished dressing into some warm clothes, Ivan had returned to the house. When he saw her he looked very surprised and irritated. As if he wasn't expecting to see her again.

"Hello Ivan." She said feeling very upset. "Surprised to see me?"

"No." He lied. "I'm relieved. Relieved that you're safe. I would be most horrified if something terrible had befallen you."

"Really? Then why didn't you help me when I fell through the ice?"

"That's what happened to you?"

"You didn't know? You didn't see me fall in? You didn't hear me call out for you?"

"No I...I left the lake because I thought a bear was near by. I wanted to chase it away or shoot it so it wouldn't harm us...When I came back to the lake you were gone. I...I couldn't find you...I was worried you had wandered off and become lost in the woods."

"So you came home? You didn't look for me?"

"I did. When I couldn't find you I decided to come back and call for help. You can't imagine how worried I was."

"I bet I can." She said convinced that it wasn't much worry at all. "So you really had no idea I had fallen into the ice? You didn't see me when it happened?"

"No I didn't. You didn't see me standing there when it happened did you?"

Erza thought back to when she was in the lake. The water had gotten into her eyes and it distorted her vision. She couldn't really see anything, even Ivan. Maybe he wasn't there. Maybe he had left and did not see her fall. But she was almost certain that she got a glimpse of him once as she was trying to pull herself out.

"No...I don't think I did see you there." She admitted.

"Then you must understand why I didn't come. I had no idea what had happened but thankfully you're alright. I must ask though, how did you get out?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Well if someone saved you I would like to express my gratitude. After all my dear, you're a treasure to my father. Heaven only knows how devastated he'd be should anything happen to you."

Now Erza was a child and like most children she could be naive but she wasn't naive enough to fall for that. Not completely anyway. She decided to with hold the truth about how she survived her near drowning experience. Just to test his reaction.

"No one saved me." She lied. "I saved myself."

"Is that so?" He said. "I didn't think anyone could save themselves from a incident like that on their own."

"I guess I was just determined not to die today."

It was no secret that Ivan did not like Erza. He had objected to Makarov adopting her and often accused the man of favoring her over himself and Laxus but that couldn't be farther from the truth. He had often tried to talk Makarov into sending her to an orphanage or worse the workhouse but the kind old man just couldn't be swayed. However in all the years Erza had known Ivan, she never suspected that he disliked her to such a degree that he would try to harm her. At least until now.

"Is it safe to presume that you're in good health?" Ivan asked her.

"Yes." 

"Are you certain? You did not sustain any injury from the fall? Or contract an illness from the cold?"

"I'm perfectly healthy."

"Then I may leave with no worries."

"Leave?"

"Forgive me but I must leave for a day or two to deal with an emergency regarding my father's business."

"You're not supposed to leave me alone, you know?"

"I won't be long and you're a resourceful young lady. You'll be fine by yourself for a day or two."

Now Erza had no qualms about being left alone by herself. She was indeed a resourceful girl but if Ivan truly had been fearful for her safety and well being wouldn't he feel uneasy about leaving her by herself? He was up to something. She could just tell by his eyes but she would play dumb so he wouldn't know she was on to him.

"Very well Ivan. Do as you wish."

She acted none the wiser but once he had gone she locked every door and window in the house and orderd Gray and Natsu not to leave the estate until Makarov returned. Gray did not complain at all for he too suspected Ivan of foul play. His vision had not been distorted, he saw that Ivan had witnessed Erza's accident and that the man had purposely made no attempt to save her. And as annoying as Erza could be, Gray was not one to allow any harm to come to anyone innocent. Especially a child. 

Natsu was a different story. Granted he didn't know or understand the reasons for her order but he didn't even try to understand it. He was too angry and irritated with the fact that he was being restricted like this. He had spent centuries restricted and then he was released only to be restricted again. This must've been what the hindus called karma. Nevertheless he so very much wanted to leave the estate so he could hunt the forest for blood. Not human blood as he had been forbidden by Erza's word from drinking it through force but he would be searching for animal blood.   
It wouldn't completely satisfy his thirst but it would hold it off for some time. 

When night fell and all in the house were asleep, he rose from his coffin and sniffed for the ice box where the meats were kept. He broke off the door handle and started draining the raw meat of it's bloody drippings before then swallowing the flesh. He found this to be very pathetic and again the bloody meat of cows and pig didn't satisfy him all the way but it would keep him from losing his mind. Order or no order he had to get some of that carmine liquid into his system. 

When he finished drinking and eating his fill he tried to think of how he could pass the time before dawn. Like Gray, he considered killing his friend turned enemy while he and his young mistress were asleep but there were two problems with that. Number one also like Gray his body lost all the will to move as soon as he made an approach to the sleeping devil and number two he wasn't sure how to go about killing him. 

Devils were probably the hardest creatures in this world to kill. Why? Because very few people knew how to kill one. Devils in general were typically already dead and in a lot of cases they were more like a force than a creature. Gray however was a rare case. He was alive so he could be killed but he descended from humans and unlike Natsu, did not barter away his immortal soul to become this creature so holy defenses probably wouldn't work on him. It was a very tricky situation. 

He walked down the corridor as he did his thinking but was eventually snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a noise coming from behind one of the doors. It was faint but he could hear anything with his bat-like hearing. It was crying. He found the room where it was coming from and opened the door to find Erza in bed, still asleep but tossing and turning while screaming and crying. 

"I want my mommy! I want my mommy! I want my mommy!" She kept screaming over and over again. 

Natsu moved toward the bed and gently shook the little girl until she woke up. In that moment the color of her skin had become no different from a vampire's and her body was trembling. When she saw him, she flinched away from him in fear. 

"Easy. I'm not going to hurt you." He said holding his hands up. 

"Why are you here?" Trying and yet failing to hide her tears. 

"You were crying in your sleep. I heard you and decided to wake you up." 

"I was not crying!" She denied. 

"Uh-huh sure." He said in disbelief. "What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" 

"It's none of your business! Go away!" She demanded. 

"Okay fine. I was only trying to be nice but hey the next time I hear ya, I'll let you squall until you pass out." 

He headed for the door and was halfway out when she said: 

"Wait." Her voice had become meek. "I can order you to tell me the truth, right?" 

"Yes." 

"Then tell me the truth. Did you really come in here because I was crying? Or because you wanted to kill me or something?" 

"I came in here because you were crying and I was worried." He walked back to the bed. "I know you think I'm a monster Erza and in a way you're right I am. But I swear to you that despite all my faults and sins I would never hurt a child for any reason." 

"Really? Is that right?" She said not entirely convinced. "You've killed hundreds of innocents for their blood. Why should I believe that you would spare a child?" 

"Because in my opinion no one in this world is truly innocent save for children." He said. "Unlike adults, children don't feel the need to hurt others or gain power and control They don't have any evil thoughts or wants. They only want to live and be happy. Therefore they don't deserve to be massacred." 

Erza looked at him skeptically, still not sure he was telling the truth. But then again she had ordered him to be honest so eventually she came around to believing his words. 

"Now that we have that settled, would you mind telling me what got you so upset?" He asked her. 

"I don't know if I should tell you. I don't think you'd understand." 

"Try me." He said. "I'm a vampire who kills for blood but that's pretty much all you know about me. You don't know anything else so how do you know that I wouldn't understand?" 

"Fair enough." She admitted. "I had a nightmare about my mother." 

"That would explain why you were crying out 'I want my mommy.' Speaking of which where are your parents anyway? I've been wondering that for quite sometime." 

"They're both dead." Erza answered. "The nightmare was about how my mother died. I was seven years old when she was killed by my father." 

Natsu looked at her in stunned horror and sympathy. 

"The knife was supposed to stab me but my mother got in the way. She let him stab her to death to protect me. Makarov heard her screaming and just before my father could stab me, Makarov put a bullet through his head to save my life. That's how I ended up becoming his ward." 

She wiped away her tears but more just kept falling. 

"It was five years ago but I'll still have nightmares about it. About how I just stood there and did nothing but let my mother hold me and shield me from the knife. I...I didn't...I didn't help her." 

She broke down after that. Natsu gently moved her into his lap and held her as she cried. On instinct she latched on to his neck and sobbed. 

"I know what you're feeling." He told her. "You hoped and prayed for it to stop. You wanted so badly to make it stop but you just couldn't because you're just a kid and a good kid just doesn't stand a chance against an evil adult." 

"How do you know what that feels like?" 

"Because Erza as cruel and unfair as it is, you're not the first child who was forced to watch a parent that they love be murdered. I've seen it happen plenty of times over the years." 

Back then she did not understand that he could relate to her situation because he had suffered through it himself but she did understand that Natsu was not as unfeeling and incapable of compassion as she thought. 

But Natsu couldn't one hundred percent relate to her tragedy. He had watched his mother be slowly and painfully killed but not by his own father nor had his father tried to kill him. He couldn't understand how any parent could even think of killing their child. Their own flesh and blood. Something they created and brought into this world. Having been someone who experienced torture, he often could understand most evil acts but harming and or murdering a child especially when it was your own, was one evil he just couldn't understand at all. 


	31. Chapter 31

Two days had passed since Ivan left and one morning when it was very early and still dark out, Erza awoke to the sound of footsteps and doors creaking open. Somehow she knew that it wasn't Natsu and Gray moving around at the moment and suspected danger. She heard the footsteps coming toward her room, thinking fast she hid. 

The door to her room were opened by two men she did not recognize. They searched the bedroom for her but she was clever enough not to hide somewhere obvious like in her closet or under her bed. She hid in the air vent of her room. She stayed there quietly without making a single noise and praying that they wouldn't think she was smart enough to hide up there. 

They didn't and when they left she followed them by crawling around in the ventilation. When she was a little younger she, her friend Jellal, and Laxus would often play hide and seek in the ventilation together so she had memorized the whole system perfectly. She even had her own secret passage way that she made herself though not to the knowledge of anyone else in the house.

The two men were going to Makarov's office, she quietly crawled through the passage way leading there and spied on what was happening through the vent. Ivan was in the office and so were a group of men she was unfamiliar with. She listened carefully to their conversation. 

"What do you mean you couldn't find her?!" Ivan  
shouted from the top of his lungs. 

"We've searched the whole perimeter sir." One of the men replied. "And there's no sign of the girl anywhere. We suspect that she ran off." 

"No she's still in this house." Ivan said. "I can feel it! It is imperative that you find her and eliminate her!" 

"Eliminate?" Erza thought with great fear. 

"I don't care what my father wanted! I refuse to let what's rightfully mine be stolen by some damn brat! He should have made me the head of this organization, not her! But once she's dead that will be corrected." 

"With all due respect sir." Another man said. "I read the will and it says that should something happen to the child, the organization will not be turned over to you. It will be turned over to your son." 

"Yes. With Erza dead, Laxus will control both bureaus. And who controls Laxus? The boy will merely be my puppet, he's so desperate to please me that he'll do whatever I say. The English bureau is already as good as mine. Erza just needs to be disposed of and I'll have the American bureau as well." 

Erza held her breath as she listened. 

"I was almost close to succeeding when I left her to drown in that lake but apparently she's much more resourceful than I thought. Which is why I hired all of you. You assassins are highly trained and should not fail me." 

"And you will remember to pay us for our services, yes?" 

"Yes of course! But the deed must be done first!" 

"But what if you're discovered by the police?" Another one of the men asked. "You won't be able to pay us in jail." 

"I will handle the police. All you need to do is find the brat and kill her! Have your guns ready and shoot on sight!"

Erza was horrified, so Ivan was trying to kill her after all. He really was insane. She needed to get out of here and somewhere safe until Makarov returned. She climbed out of the vents, grabbed an emergency pistol that she kept in her sock drawer, and quietly headed for the door. Suddenly gun shots went off from behind. She looked to see Ivan and his goons aiming their guns at her.

"There you are you little pest!" Ivan said venomously. "And here I was worried that searching for you would be a challenge."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch." She said. 

Thinking fast, she shot her pistol up toward the ceiling which killed the lights. Guns went off but no one hit their targets due to not being able to see anything. Erza used touch to navigate her way through the darkness and when she felt the glass of a window she quickly lifted the latch and jumped out. 

It was quite a distance down. Not enough to cause any fatal damage but enough to hurt her arm and side when she hit the ground. She could still walk but it hurt to move. Nevertheless she ignored her pain and began to run. If she could just make it to her neighbor's house then she would be safe. But in her haste to get away she tripped over a rock and fell. 

Before she could even react she felt Ivan roughly grab her injured arm and throw her across the ground, slamming her into a tree. She looked up into his mad and evil eyes. She knew right then and there that underneath his human flesh and blood this man was a monster from Hell. She wondered how a man as kind and good as Makarov could have fathered such a demonic son. 

"I must say Erza you're a lot tougher than I gave you credit for. I congratulate you for lasting this long but you've lasted long enough."

"Bastard!" She spat. "How can you do this?!"

"Don't take it personally Erza. It's for the good of the organization." 

"Bull! You don't care about Makarov's cause! You just want control and power! That's all you've ever cared about! Getting what you want no matter what you do or who you hurt! Even your own son is just a means to an end to you!" 

"Tougher and smarter than I thought. Bravo Miss Scarlet. But I'm afraid it's the end of the line for you." 

He cocked his gun and aimed it at her. Poor Erza had dropped her pistol when the lights had gone out back at the house so she had no way to defend herself. Truly it looked like she was a goner. But just before Ivan could pull the trigger he was interrupted by a sudden and harsh wind that blew against him. A wind that carried a mixture of howling and shrieks the chilled his and her bones to the core. 

Out of nowhere a canine beast appeared and stood between him and the red haired girl. It resembled either a wolf or a large dog but it certainly wasn't the average canine. There was something about it's eyes that seemed completely not of this world. Looking into them, Ivan felt as if he was looking into the depths of hell. He fired several shots and they hit the beast but the bullets did nothing. They didn't even scratch the skin or cut the fur. 

Ivan still kept shooting but the unholy wolf or dog would not move from it's position. It stood there, snarling and growling at Ivan with it's teeth bared. Daring him to even attempt to harm Erza. When he made a move toward her it bit down on his hand so hard and tore off his arm with it's supernatural strength. Ivan screeched in pain and his pain was even furthered when something came down from the skies and snatched him into the air. 

It was a bat but definitely not one Erza had ever seen before. It was enormous, about the same size as a full grown man or even bigger. A hideous creature with a large snout, a mouth full of fangs, and wings almost as wide as an airplane's. It lifted Ivan higher into the air then it dropped him and pinned him to the ground with it's talons. 

The next part Erza did not see for in an instant, the hound changed into Gray who threw his arms around her and adverted her eyes. She heard the sound of the bat's shrieks and gluttonous chugging along with Ivan's screams of terror and agony. Those noises alone were enough to petrify her. She would have been traumatized had she witnessed the horrible acts taking place. 

Everything had become quiet when Gray finally allowed Erza to see again. The monstrous bat was gone and so was Ivan but in their places stood Natsu with blood dripping from his mouth. The three of them were completely silent and after for what seemed to be an hour, she asked Natsu: 

"You killed him, didn't you?" 

"Yes." He answered. "I killed him and I drank him dry." 

"You...You weren't supposed to do that. I ordered you not to-" 

"I'm allowed to break an order you give me if it ensures your safety and survival. He was going to kill you Erza. I had to stop him." 

"But you didn't have to kill him." 

"Yes he did." Gray said. "When he looked me in the eyes, he allowed me to see into his soul. That man was bound and determined to see you dead by any means necessary. If he had been spared he would have just kept trying and trying to kill you. Nothing would stop him, except death." 

"But...But...But he was Makarov's son. Laxus's father." 

"He had no love for his family." Natsu said. "He didn't love anything or anyone but himself." 

Erza knew their words to be true but all she could think about at the moment was how heartbroken Makarov and Laxus would be by these news. As awful as Ivan was he was still family to two people she loved so much. She felt guilty and responsible for his death, she feared Makarov and Laxus would hate her forever because of this. 

But surprisingly, when Makarov heard the news upon his return he showed no anger. He was heartbroken by his son's death but completely understood that he had to be destroyed. 

"You're certain he would have never stopped trying to kill Erza?" Makarov asked Natsu and Gray. 

"No sir." Gray answered. "He was too insane. There was no other option. For Erza's protection he had to die. I am so sorry that we had to resort to that." 

"I'm not." Natsu said. 

"Show some compassion will you?" 

"I will but I won't lie. I have no regrets about killing him. He was an evil man without any remorse or desire for redemption and if left alive he would have spent his entire life hunting an innocent child. I had no qualms about killing him." 

"Natsu shut up!" 

"It's alright Gray." Makarov said. "I understand what kind of man Ivan really was and I suspected it for years but chose to live in denial because I couldn't face the truth. Terrified that my own son could be so evil."

"If he wasn't so determined to kill Erza we would have just contained him or something." Gray said. 

"Speak for yourself." Natsu said. 

"But men like him don't listen to reason or their conscience." Gray said ignoring Natsu. 

"What did you two do with his body?" Makarov asked. 

"I chopped off his head and burned it." Natsu answered. "He won't come back as a vampire I promise you." 

"I am not sure what has broken my heart more. His betrayal or his death." Makarov said doing a very good job of holding back his tears. "But I thank you both for protecting Erza. Now I have to ask two favors of you." 

"Which is?" Natsu said.

"Number one don't ever tell Laxus about this. He loved Ivan as much as I did but he's too young to fully comprehend the evil that was in his father. He would hate Erza and blame her if he knew the truth." 

"We'll carry the secret to our graves." Gray said.

"Now number two, keep protecting Erza. She's very capable but not indestructible and I know she has you bound by a contract but she won't abuse you. She only wants to protect mankind." 

"You didn't need to ask." Natsu said. "She's a good kid and we've really gotten to like her." 

"So we'll keep her safe however we can." Gray added. 

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Makarov said with relief. 


	32. Chapter 32

1936 Present

"After that our relationship changed entirely." Natsu said to Lucy. "Erza was still a hard ass to us but after she realized that we had feelings and standards, that we were not completely evil she decided to show us some compassion. Saving her life twice didn't hurt either."

"So that's how Laxus's father really died." Lucy said. "We were all told he had been killed by an explosion that took place in one of the factories he owned."

"Well if Makarov told the truth everybody would have thought he was insane. Remember our organization is a secret."

But did Laxus ever know the truth? Did Makarov ever tell him?"

"He planned to once Laxus was older and could better understand the circumstances but unfortunately Laxus admired Ivan and saw him as a role model. Poor Makarov felt that the truth would break his heart."

"But does he really think letting him believe a lie like that for all his life is wise?"

"Probably not but that's the thing about parental figures, they'll do anything to protect the kids they care about from getting hurt. Even lie and keep secrets. That's what Vahan did with Gray."

"Who's Vahan?"

"Vahan was an Armenian priest and exorcist, he was also the man who essentially raised me and Gray. He took me in when I was six, after I lost my parents and he had been looking after Gray since he was a baby. He knew what Gray was from moment he was born but he didn't show any signs of being a devil so Vahan felt it best to with hold bits of information regarding Gray's origins."

"So he never told Gray he was a devil?"

"Not until he and I got into that big fight when we were adults and it triggered his dormant devil side to...To...Wake up, I guess? Anyway once black markings showed up on Gray's body and he sprouted wings, horns, and claws, Vahan couldn't hide the truth any longer. He didn't mean any harm by not telling Gray, he just didn't want Gray to hate himself and in all honesty I can't really blame him for his actions."

"I don't think secrets and lies help anyone."

"Maybe, maybe not. Lies are bad and to tell you the truth I'd much prefer a terrible truth over a wonderful lie but not all people have that preference. Which reminds me, you can't ever tell Laxus about how Ivan really died. If anyone besides Makarov tells him the truth I guarantee it'll hurt him more than anything."

"I won't tell but there's something that's puzzling me."

"What?"

"You and Gray want to destroy each other right?"

"Yes."

"But judging by what you've just told me about this Vahan person, it seems that you and Gray grew up together."

"We did."

"Then how?"

"How what?"

"How could you want to kill someone you grew up with? Someone who's basically your family?"

"Easy. He betrayed me."

"How?"

"Well for starters he lead your grandpa right to me and that's how I got stuck in a coma for decades. But I guess it all goes back to Constantinople. He didn't support me when I...When I renounced God. He said that I was wrong to blame God for all the evil in the world. He always said that he'd be there for me but as soon as I decided to turn against that great heavenly hypocrite, he refused to stand by me."

"I see." Lucy said. "So you really do hate God."

"Yes and if you're going to lecture me about it-"

"I'm not but I think you're in the wrong about Gray's betrayal."

"What do you mean?"

"You chose to hate God. That was your decision and your choice. But not Gray's."

"We were friends, family, we were supposed to be there for each other."

"Be there for each other yes, but always agree with each other? That's not how relationships work and of course he couldn't support you. You had turned yourself into a creature that fed on human blood. You were asking him to support basically cannibalism."

"That part I now understand was a mistake but I'm referring to his faith. He didn't consider my feelings or my pain. He chose his faith over me." 

"And that surprises you?"

"Uh...Yes."

"It surprises you that because of your hatred, Gray did not automatically go against everything he believed? Everything he ever knew and was ever taught? You expected him to just risk his soul and give up his entire faith based on your say so? You think it would be that easy for him?"

Natsu went quiet for a moment as he pondered Lucy's words carefully.

"Well when you put it like that it...It...It-"

"It makes you sound rather selfish doesn't it? You say he doesn't consider your feelings or your pain, but do you consider his? Religion isn't just faith, it's part of who a person is. What do you think Gray must've been feeling when you gave him that ultimatum? Forcing him to choose between someone he loved and who he really was? Tell me, did any of what I just said ever cross your mind?"

Natsu thought for a moment. Now that Lucy had mentioned it, he never did consider Gray's feelings on the whole falling out between them. He had just been so angry about the torture he suffered during the war and about how what he believed to be God ignoring his cries, that when Gray just out right refused to join him in his renunciation he got it in his head that Gray didn't really care. That the torment he suffered meant nothing to him. But looking back on it now he considered that maybe he had asked too much of him that day. Then he remembered something Gray had said to him that day.

_"You expect me to support my brother damning himself?!"_

When Natsu had heard it the first time he took it the wrong way. He thought Gray was judging him when he said that but now that he had really taken the time to think about it. To remember the terror and hurt he had seen in Gray's eyes as he said those words, he now understood the true meaning of the phrase. He didn't judge Natsu, he was afraid for him. Afraid for his soul. It gave him a new perspective on things.

"No." Natsu finally spoke. "I never did consider his feelings about it. About all of it. I...I was just so angry and...Oh...Oh no...What the hell did I do?"

"Maybe you can fix it." Lucy said. "Talk to him. Try to sort this out."

"Won't do any good."

"Why not?"

"Because he believed I betrayed him."

"With the ultimatum involving his faith?"

"No. Not that. Something else."

"What?"

He hesitated before answering and made sure that no one was around to hear him.

"I can't tell you the whole details about this because Gray would go berserk if anyone knew and I don't know why I'm telling you this because not even Erza knows this but for some reason I trust you. So promise me you'll never tell anyone this."

"I promise."

"About a century or some decades after I became a vampire, I met up with Gray again. I tired to again convince him to join in the renunciation but as expected he refused. We fought, I left, then he suffered a terrible tragedy and he blamed me for it."

"Why you?"

"Before I left I swore to him that one way or another I'd get him to see how horrible God really was. That one day he'd suffer through something and God would ignore his cries for help. So when he did suffer tragedy and his prayers were not answered as I correctly predicted, he was convinced that I was at fault. Vowed that he'd never forgive me and that is what officially destroyed any care he had toward me. Also that's why he aided your grandfather."

"What exactly does he think you did?"

He turned away from her, again he went quiet and seemed very reluctant to answer.

"I guess that's enough personal talk for now." Lucy said. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. You've already told me so much and I promise I won't tell anyone what I know."

He didn't say anything. Lucy decided to leave him alone to enjoy his meal in peace. She didn't expect him say another word until they met again but the very moment she walked out the door to his room, she heard him say in a very sympathetic voice:

"He thinks I orchestrated the murder of the woman he loved."

Lucy stopped and looked back at him. He still didn't face her.

"That's all I'll say about it for now and I admit I did hate him very much back then. I admit that I did want him to pay for choosing God over me but not like that. Despite the anger and betrayal I felt I still couldn't bring myself to do something that horrible to him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gray is a devil. Not the devil. Meaning he's not Satan or Lucifer. In this fic devils are a species not one person. 


	33. Chapter 33

Meanwhile Gray was in his room waiting for Erza call for him for another mission. As he waited he was looking at something in his hand. It was a small frame which contained a miniature portrait, it was an antique. Gray had kept it with him for years. Something that he was certain he would never be able to part with so long as he lived.

"Gray." 

Juvia walked in without knocking and it startled him into dropping the frame. 

"Don't you knock?!" He said angrily. 

"Oh I'm sorry." She said. "I forgot. It won't happen again."

She looked down at the picture frame on the floor. The front side on it had landed on the floor so she couldn't see that picture inside. 

"Here let me-" She reached down to pick up as it had landed closer to her.

"Don't!" Gray said snatching it off the floor when her fingers were just millimeters from it. "Don't ever touch my stuff, okay? I have very valuable possessions and I would not like them to be lost or broken."

"I'm sorry. I won't ever touch anything of yours." She looked back at the picture frame. It was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand and he had it turned to where only the back could be seen. "May I see the picture?"

"No."

"May I ask who it's of?"

"None of your business. Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious that's all."

"Well here's some advice, curiosity often leads to trouble. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Erza told me to get you. She says that there's been a disturbance in the town square."

"What kind of a disturbance?"

"She didn't say but I'm guessing it's a supernatural one considering that she's calling for us to look into it."

"No kidding Sister."

"You know you don't have to be so mean to me. I'm really trying to be friends here and to make nice but it's like you don't even want us to be acquaintances. And furthermore I can't shake the feeling that you've had some kind of problem with me ever since you first saw me."

"Duh! I'm a devil, you're an exorcist. You eliminate creatures like me."

"For your information I don't automatically try to destroy natural born devils. I like to give them a chance first."

"A chance for what?"

"A chance to see if they can be good. If a natural born human being can become a devil by being evil, then maybe a natural born devil can become a human by being good. Sort of like redemption."

"Redemption? Ha! And here I thought nuns couldn't be funny. Look Sister I can't be redeemed. I was condemned as soon as I drew my first breath in this world. I know where I'm going when or if I die and nothing can change that."

"I don't think you really believe that. Not one hundred percent that is."

"What are you, a psychic? You can't read my inner thoughts and feelings."

"No but if you really believe that your soul can't be saved then why do you still try to be a good person? Why do you still defend God's children?"

"Because I'm under a contract by a crazy redhead who forces me too."

"You're lying."

He was but devils were naturally gifted liars. The best there ever were. According to many myths and legends, they were so good at it that it was nearly impossible for any human to tell if one was lying one hundred percent. In other words even if humans didn't believe the lie they were told there would always be that little seed of doubt in their mind because of how sharp and silver a devil's tongue could be. That's why so many devils succeeded in tempting humans to turn away from God. But Juvia was an interesting case. She could see right through Gray and automatically knew that what he spoke wasn't true. As if she somehow knew his true heart and soul enough to differentiate falsehood in his words.

"No I'm not." He denied.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Not I'm not."

"Yes you are. I'm completely sure of it."

"Impossible. How could you? No one can tell for sure when a devil is lying."

"Ah-ha! So you admit you're lying."

"No but if I was you wouldn't be able tell."

"But I can."

"How would you?"

"I don't know. I just somehow can and I was told that you were Protestant. Does thou shall not bear false witness, ring any bells?"

"Yeah and so does thou shall not kill but I've broken that commandment plenty of times. In fact I'm probably going to end up breaking it again tonight. Which reminds me, we should get going now."

He put the small picture frame in a drawer and quickly ushered Juvia out of his room. If he had allowed her to pick it up when he dropped it she would have seen that the miniature portrait in that frame had been an oil painting of young woman. A young woman who was the mirror image of Juvia save for the color of her hair which was a lovely shade of brown and the garments she wore which were of another time period.

...

When Wendy had woken up earlier this morning she had been informed of her recently discovered blood relation to Natsu and like him she was greatly surprised by these news. When night came around she immediately wanted to talk to him but after he finished his evening breakfast he had to leave with the others for another mission. She wanted to come but everyone insisted that she stay behind with Erza. 

"I don't understand why I can't go with them." Wendy said to Erza as they talked in her office. "I can help. Being half vampire makes me very strong and a great fighter."

"I'm certain you are." Erza chuckled. "But you're still just a child."

"I am not. I'm almost a woman."

"No you're not."

"I'll be thirteen next year."

"Yes you'll be a teenager and in my eyes teenagers are still children."

"Don't tell me, I have to be eighteen to be considered an adult?"

"No."

"What do you mean no? The law says-"

"When it comes to this organization, the law does not decide who is an adult. I do and in my opinion age does not always make you what you are. Behavior and maturity does. My top agents Natsu and Gray are chronologically 496 years old but they still behave like twelve year old boys. Children. So I view them as children."

"They're 496 years old?"

"Oh come now, Wendy you must know that vampires don't age like humans do and neither do devils. Vampires don't age because technically they're dead so aging stops and devils don't age because their life is fueled by evil. Which means they live as long as evil does."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

"Really?" She looked astonished. "I thought you were so much older."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She said looking insulted. "How old did you think I was?"

"Like a thousand or something?"

Erza looked horrified. She quickly pulled out a compact mirror and checked her face for any physical signs of age. 

"Oh God, the stress of this job can't be giving me wrinkles now. What would Jellal say? He'd probably call off the engagement and leave me to die a spinster."

"Miss Erza I didn't mean it like that. I just assumed you were immortal like Natsu and Gray were. You did say that you thought of them as children so I thought you were the older one."

"Oh." She said now embarrassed. "Right. Sorry. When you've been with two immortal beings as long as I have and physically get older while they don't, you tend to get a little insecure about your appearance from time to time."

"So you're a human being?"

"Yes. I am."

"And you're younger than Natsu and Gray?"

"Much! Much more younger."

"Then why do you order them around? Shouldn't they be doing that? I mean they are older and more powerful."

"Older and more powerful doesn't always mean wiser and more mature. As I said earlier, they still behave like twelve year olds. I remember when I was seventeen and Natsu had swiped one of my lingerie magazines. The pervert. I punished him by giving him celibacy therapy."

"How is that a punishment?"

"I used ancient methods that caused pain."

"Eeee." Wendy flinched. 

"Just so we're clear you do know where babies come from right?"

"Yes. I do and I know why he took the magazine. But wasn't celibacy therapy a bit harsh?"

"If he had actually been a twelve year old boy? Yes. But he wasn't. He was a grown man chronically and physically. He's also a vampire and in many cases drinking blood and arousal are the same thing to a vampire. If he was to get certain impulses he might have been tempted to drink blood by force."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Besides he went through my under wear drawer to get the magazine. He was definitely going to pay for that."

"What about Gray? Did he ever do anything like that?"

"I can't recall. He's protestant and protestants usually try to resist those kind of impulses. But he's also a devil, male, and has a youthful body that will most likely never stop producing hormones, so I don't know how good he is at it...Oh God why couldn't they have been born girls?"

Wendy laughed. She liked this lady, she was nice and funny. She was sure that she would like living with her during this difficult time.


	34. Chapter 34

The police and other authorities were swamped everywhere in the town square, investigating the large number of bodies lying dead on cobblestone road. Their blood basically painting nearly every inch of it red. Juvia made a Catholic sign as a way to bless the poor souls of the victims and Natsu had to take a quick drink of the emergency pack of blood he brought just so he wouldn't be tempted. Once he had his fill, his nose picked up a sent coming from building just across the square that was due to be condemned. 

"That's where our target is." He said pointing toward the building. "Let's move but do so discreetly. We don't want to attract any attention from the cops."

They parked the vehicle on the side where it wouldn't be noticed then quietly and discreetly moved to the building. They would have gotten there no problem but there was a sudden complication. Something burst out of the ground, something huge, hulking, and repulsive. It was black and seemed to be made of tar, it had no eyes just a large jaw with a huge set of teeth. 

"What the hell is that?" Natsu asked.

"Oh crap." Gray said. "It's a demon leech."

"A demon leech?" Lucy said. "What's that supposed to be?"

"Demons and devils have their own classification based on how powerful they are. At the top the heap were the first ones the fallen angels and the souls of man who turned from God, second would be my rank the natural born devils, third are the incubi and the succubi ugh! Those ones really creep me out. Fourth are the Azhdayas, fifth are the mares and the drudes, sixth the imps, and at the bottom of the heap are the parasites."

"Shouldn't parasites be small?" Lucy asked.

"Some are but not all. Like this one. They range from different types but they all have one thing in common. Like regular parasites, their only goal is to feed off of something."

"So this thing is out for blood?"

"Worse. Souls. Blood is useless to a demon but souls, they would do anything to get a human's immortal soul. Though technically speaking parasites can't take their entire soul. Only the essence of it. The only way a demon can get it's hands on the whole package is if a human being willingly barters it away. Hence why my kind has no mind control powers like vampires do." 

"They don't?"

"Nope. You know how humans have the choice to decide weather or not they follow God? Well it goes both ways with Satan. In matters of the soul it's all about choice. No forcing, no stealing, no mind control. We can manipulate, influence, even possess a human but we can't mess with their free will. Has to be their willing decision."

"But doesn't possession count as messing with their free will?" Natsu asked.

"No because that's controlling their bodies not their minds. Free will is in the mind. But that aside we have a very serious problem here. That great big ugly thing is going to pop human beings into it's mouth, suck out their soul essence, and then spit the bodies out like chewing tobacco." 

"What do we do?" Juvia said. "I mean obviously we should stop this thing right?"

"Yes but it's obviously a diversion to keep us from finding the master mind behind the recent massacre here." Gray said. "Natsu, you and Lucy get to the building. I'll handle this."

When Natsu and Lucy ran toward the building, Gray cracked his knuckles and turned to Juvia.

"Something this big isn't going to be easy to kill with my cover abilities. Undo the seal Juvia."

She nodded and pressed the trigger on the watch. She watched as black markings appeared on Gray's face and body, he grew taller, his gargoyle like wings came out from his back, his shirt was torn off by the great force, his nails and teeth turned to claws and fangs, his ears became pointed, and his small horns appeared on his head. At an incredible amount of speed he jumped from the ground and flew toward the demon leech. 

It was a nasty fight. The leech rampaged through various buildings, houses, and streets in a gluttonous attempt to devour fleeing civilians. The first thing Gray did was throw something into the leech's jaw, it burst and caused some paste like substance to splatter on it's jaw and glue it shut. That made the abomination really angry and it responded by tossing Gray around and battering him. It even tried to use him as a pry for the substance stuck to it's mouth.

Poor Juvia wanted to help him but all she could do for him at the moment was pray that he would be alright. She made herself useful by helping civilians get to safety and escape from being trapped by things like falling debris or turned over vehicles. Authorities were soon evacuating people from the town in order to avoid being attacked.

"Ma'am please come with us." An officer told her. "It's not safe here."

"I can't go right now." Juvia protested.

"Ma'am I must insist."

"But you don't understand. My friend is-"

"Captain look!" Another officer said pointing upward to Gray. "There's two of them now!"

"What are they?" A third one asked.

"Another monster! Where are they all coming from?!" A civilian cried.

"They'll destroy the town!" Another civilian shouted.

"No please." Juvia said trying to keep the peace. "No one panic. Everything is under control. He's not here to hurt you. He's only trying to help."

But she couldn't be heard over the loud and panicked voices crying out. Back up top, the leech knocked over an apartment building that came crumbling down toward the road. Amdist the chaos, a boy was desperately trying to run from the falling debris that was about to crush him however it looked like he wouldn't make it. Just before brick and large chunks of steal could bury him, Gray swooped down and grabbed him to safety. 

"No! No! No! Put me down!" He shouted in terror of both nearly getting killed and being grabbed by fearsome looking stranger. "Don't hurt me! Please!"

"Easy, easy." Gray told him calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're not?"

"No. Sorry for the surprise grab but one second longer and it probably would have been the end of you. Now hold on tight, I'll get you down as soon as I finish up with this."

With the boy safely secure in one arm, he used his other to pull out a blade and made his strike. All eyes turned to a silver light that came bursting from the leech as it was being cut down in half by Gray's blade. It split and broke in two before it disintegrated into ash. The light dimmed and the leech was no more. Gray carefully landed on the cobble stone road with just his two feet.

"You okay?" He asked the boy.

"Yeah." He said.

"I didn't freak out too bad with that stunt I pulled did I?"

"No! That was Awesome! Can you do it again?"

Gray smiled but it didn't stay with him long.

"Romeo!" The boy's father ran toward him and pulled the boy from him. "What have you done to my son?!"

"Nothing. He's fine." Gray said.

"You stay away from my boy you monster!" The man shouted. 

"Dad he didn't do anything." The boy called Romeo defended but his father didn't listen and neither did anyone else in the crowd. 

"You freak! This happened because of you didn't it?!" A civilian shouted hatefully.

"He's a demon! A minion of Satan!" Cried another one.

"He caused all this! I'm sure!"

"Somebody do something before he destroys us all!"

"Freeze!" The police captain said as he and the other officers pointed their guns at him. "Don't move! Whoever you are, you're under arrest!"

"But I didn't do anything wrong." Gray argued.

His words meant nothing to him. They just threw insults, looks of disgust and fear, and rocks at him. One even threw a shard of broken glass from a window at him. It cut his cheek but it didn't hurt as bad as the insults and stares. He only saw two kind faces in the crowd. The first was Romeo who looked at him sympathetically and was saying something which couldn't be heard due to the crowd but Gray could read his lips. He was mouthing: I'm sorry. The second was Juvia who for a moment just stood there looking horrified. But not of him, of the people. Without a word she left the crowd and slowly walked to Gray. The crowd seized fire with their rocks and watched her intently.

"Ma'am get out of the way!" The police captain ordered. 

"What is she going to do?" Civilians started saying.

"Stay away from that creature!"

"He'll eat you!"

"She's a nun right? Maybe she'll exorcise it?!"

"Glories be we're saved!"

But she didn't do that. She stopped and faced him. She eyed the cut from on his cheek and gently wiped away the blood with a handkerchief she kept with her. Gray and the crowd were confused by her actions and then confusion turned into utter shock when she out stretched her arms to circle around his neck and back, embracing him. In that moment Gray couldn't move or even think. His mind just couldn't comprehend what was happening. He was being touched. Touched affectionately by someone. This was something that had not been done to him for far too long and due to that he had no idea how to react to it suddenly being done to him again. 

"Lady what are you doing?!" The crowd shouted.

"Don't touch him!"

"He's dangerous!"

"Step away from that woman!" The police captain demanded. "Ma'am for your own protection, move away from that thing!"

Still she did not heed his order and after being quiet for a few minutes longer, she whispered softly into Gray's ear. 

"I think we should go back now. I'm certain Natsu and Lucy can handle the rest. You've been through enough."

"I will not repeat myself again!" The captain said. "Release her or we will shoot!"

Shots rang out but Gray moved too quickly to be hit. He took Juvia into a bridal hold and flew off from the scene. During the whole flight back neither one said anything but it was obvious what each of them were feeling at the moment. One rejection, shame, and self revulsion and the other compassion, empathy, and sorrow for the other. 


End file.
